


Dark Shadows - Clementine

by ShadowGoat



Category: Dark Shadows (2012)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22244590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowGoat/pseuds/ShadowGoat
Summary: After all that has happened, Angelique's 'sister', Clementine, tries to make up for everything that has gone wrong. She tries to befriend the Collins family, and helps them rebuild their business. Along the way, she encounters endless difficulties...This is a Dark Shadows fanfiction, and is a sequel to the Tim Burton film.
Relationships: Barnabas Collins/Josette DuPres Collins
Kudos: 1





	1. One

Barnabas Collins and Josette DuPres came back from the rocks below Widows’ Hill soaking wet and freezing from the sea water. As they walked back towards Collinwood through the nearby trees, a figure disappeared through the front doors of the burning building that was bright against the night. A small huddle of three stood before the flames. The woman, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, was holding her fifteen year old daughter, Carolyn. Close beside these two was David Collins, Elizabeth’s nephew and Carolyn’s cousin. And, although only David could see her, the ghost of David’s mother floated with them. As Barnabas guided Josette forward, Elizabeth spoke, nodding towards what was left of their home.

“Clementine went in there,” she said breathlessly. “She wouldn’t listen to us.” A moment later, a familiar silhouette appeared out of the doors. Clementine looked almost untouched by the flames. Her red hair blew across her face, and her amber eyes burned like the fire behind her. Only the very edges of her scarlet dress and the toes of her leather boots were singed. Her golden gloves reflected the light of the roaring rage behind her. In her arms was the cracked, delicate body of Angelique Bouchard.

Clementine slowly walked down the steps towards Barnabas. She stopped in front of him and faced him. She then turned and placed Angelique’s body carefully on the ground, turned again and was back in front of Barnabas. She glanced at Josette for a second before something hit her. Looking deep into Barnabas’s eyes, she spoke in a hushed voice.

“This is your fault,” she said quietly. Josette looked at her. Clementine ignored this. “If you hadn’t quarrelled with her-“

“I wouldn’t be here,” Josette interrupted. “Barnabas saved me. Victoria is dead...”

“Almost like I seem to care,” replied Clementine, with an air of one trying to keep their temper, still not looking at Josette. “Now she,” she jabbed a finger at Josette. “And you... Are together, _again_?” Barnabas looked slightly surprised.

“You caught on quick. So I suppose you know this is Josette? No doubt your beloved Angie told you about her,” Barnabas said, letting Josette thread her arm around his. Clementine decided that it would be best if she let her anger out sooner, rather than later, and saved a lot of time in doing so.

“She loved you, Barnabas!” Clementine shouted, her face flushing scarlet. “Yes, it’s true, she hated you, for what you did to her, but she still wanted you!”

Elizabeth stared at Clementine, still clutching Carolyn. Barnabas didn’t seem bothered by Clementine’s yelling, and stood calmly with Josette almost behind him. He waved a hand in Elizabeth’s direction, and his meaning was clear: go, leave this to me.

“You broke her heart twice over!” cried Clementine, nearly in tears, but still glaring fiercely. “And you offered her nothing, nothing, to help the pain!” Elizabeth, Carolyn and David had now disappeared, and now just Barnabas and Josette stood looking at an angry, miserable Clementine.

“But she did a great many things to me,” Barnabas said coolly. “Killed Josette, and locked me in a box for two centuries. Then she has recently committed arson, by burning our cannery and house.” Clementine glared at him.

“You have Josette back, and you only spent a hundred and ninety six years in that box,” Clementine replied with equal chill in her voice. “Yes, she burnt your cannery and... I hate to break it to you,” here she sniffed, “but I am responsible for the house.” Barnabas looked curiously at her, and she pulled one of her gloves off as proof.

A small fire, not unlike the one that burned merrily close by, had formed in Clementine’s palm. She grimaced at Barnabas, the tears seeping silently down her face making the grimace look weak.

“Pyrokinesis: I can burn anything I touch. Without these gloves, I could torch the whole town,” she explained. Josette’s jaw dropped. “Oh... I notice you’re a vampire too, now?” Josette shut her mouth quickly, but nodded. Clementine’s face flushed scarlet for a second, but it seemed she was keeping her anger in again and her face returned to its natural paleness. “I can also manipulate fire, but I can’t absorb it.” She pulled her glove back on, turned apparently to pick up Angelique, but instead turned around with such speed that Barnabas didn’t know she had until her fist made contact with his face. He heard Josette gasp and the small sound of Clementine picking up Angelique’s body and footsteps leading away.

When he straightened up, Josette was looking at him worriedly. He offered her his arm, and they walked down the drive of what used to be their home. At the gates, Elizabeth, Carolyn, David and Willie Loomis (the caretaker of Collinwood) had the car waiting. Barnabas and Josette squeezed in the back, which was difficult, and they drove off, leaving the burning remains of Collinwood behind.


	2. Two

The next day in Collinsport was bright and sunny. Clementine was sat with the Angelbay board in the middle of a meeting. It had been agreed that as Clementine had been the closest to Angie, she would have full power over the company.

“We might need to get you to sign a few things, Clementine,” said the man sat to her right, Horace Fielder. She nodded thoughtfully, not really listening. “Angie, it seems, has left everything to you, even though she wasn’t intending to die, and we found evidence to support this.” Here, he pushed a pile of files towards her. She picked up the first folder and opened it. She pulled out a slip of paper that clearly had Angie’s writing on it. As she read it, the words of the man seemed to make sense, more so than what she was reading.

“Hmm... I see your proof,” she muttered. “Is there anything important in there?” She reached out and fingered the files.

“We’re not sure. We think there could be papers in there from when Angie’s great-great-grandmother ran the place.”

“Interesting...” Clementine sat back in her chair, examining the writing on the file that had been at the bottom of the pile. “And you’re sure Angelique left _everything_ to me?”

“Yes, judging by what that handwritten note said. She was quite fond of you. She was never like that to anyone else,” Mr Fielder said, grabbing a recent document and a pen. “Just sign this, if you will, and Angelbay will be yours.”

Clementine slowly moved her now navy gloved hand out and picked up the pen. She pulled the document forwards and skimmed through the text, stopping at the place for her to sign. She quickly scribbled her signature and handed the paper back. The man to her left snatched it and smiled at her; this was the habit of Lyle Chester.

“I guess you are the new owner of Angelbay!” he said in an annoyingly cheery voice. Clementine fell back into her seat with a sigh, her hand on her forehead. “This meeting is now over. Good day to you all.” The board got up and left Clementine sat by herself. After a time, she rose from her seat at the far head of the table, picked up the files, and left too. She walked the short distance to what used to be Angie’s office. She paused at the door, looking at the handle, wondering if she should turn it.

.....

Once inside, Clementine set the folders on her desk, and took the place behind it. She began searching through the files that went back to when Angelique had first started Angelbay. I saw all these files... she thought to herself. Amidst all the important pieces, there were little bits of unimportant information like ‘Bank holiday - Monday’, and ‘Pay rise for workers - Tuesday’. Clementine felt her left hand creeping towards the cuff of her right glove. She pulled it back.

At that moment the telephone rang. Sighing more than she had been lately, Clementine picked it up. A familiar voice at the other end spoke.

“Hello, I request a conversation with Miss Clementine...,” Barnabas said.

“Oh... Um, hello Barnabas,” Clementine shifted uncomfortably. “Things aren’t too great are they...?

“No, it seems not,” Barnabas replied. “Do you have any responsibility over Angelbay yet?” Clementine could hear that he was trying to keep his voice calm.

“Yes, I signed the document this morning. I daresay you would like to make an appointment to see me?” she asked.

“Indeed I would,” Barnabas said. “Next week, perhaps? That will give you time to settle in.”

“Hmm... okay, next... Tuesday? 1:30pm?” Clementine pressed, pen poised over blank paper.

“Sounds about right,” there was a scuffling sound coming from Barnabas’s end. “Oh dear, must go. Until next week then, Clementine.” With that, the line cut.

Clementine placed the telephone back and jotted the appointment on the piece of paper. She then placed on the desk so that it was visible. She leant back, closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the current situation.

“Angelique’s dead...” she said to herself. “She left everything to me... I now own Angelbay... I have to face several days of complaints before I am accepted... Angie had to leave me in a right fix, didn’t she?”

Frustrated, Clementine seized the mass of folders and opened one at random. It contained a mass of photos taken at the opening of Angelbay cannery. She frowned, unconscious of doing so, as she was lost in memories of that day almost a hundred and ninety six years ago. She could remember the company being slowly built up, and she could remember assisting Angie in almost every way possible to create the foundations of a company that would last centuries.  
  
---  
  
.....

That night was particularly dark. Somewhere on the other side of town, the Collins family were huddled like hippies around a fire burning not far from where they had parked their car. Willie was asleep, David was sat beside his invisible ghost mother, Carolyn was sat with Elizabeth and Josette was with Barnabas. Barnabas was finishing informing Josette everything that had happened since her death.

“And then something (I wasn’t quite sure what) rounded the corner and screamed at Angelique. Several objects shattered and she was forced backwards into the air, hit the chandelier, and it fell. She died pulling her heart out. I think she wanted me to have it,” Barnabas murmured. “But it turned solid and that too shattered.” Josette looked at him with round eyes.

“She was never very kind to your family,” she said in a slightly misty voice. “She was certainly never kind to Victoria after she saw you two together that night...” Barnabas stared into the depths of the fire that was illuminating the faces of those around them. Willie gave a loud snore, making them all jump. David reached over and prodded him, waking him.

“Stop snoring!” he hissed. “It was quite peaceful until you snored...” Willie mumbled an apology and turned over, facing away from the fire and everyone else. Elizabeth sighed and lay back. Carolyn did the same. Barnabas, Josette and David were now the only ones up. David looked at Josette. “Vicky?” he whispered. Josette looked at him sadly.

“Victoria is dead,” she whispered back. “I know what she was to you.” David looked at his ghost mother, who nodded sadly. David gazed at the red and gold flames leaping in front of him. “I am Josette,” she continued quietly. “Barnabas couldn’t save Victoria, but instead brought me back...” When David looked puzzled, she let Barnabas elaborate.

“Josette was killed by Angelique many, many years ago, in the same way Victoria was. Cursed to jump off a cliff...” he paused, almost as if expecting David to say something. When nothing happened, he carried on speaking. “Josette’s spirit entered Victoria’s body, so therefore we now have Josette. Of a sort...”

Willie snorted again, waking Elizabeth and Carolyn. Carolyn leaned over and shook him. He looked up and saw them all looking at him. He turned over so that he was lying face down, and everyone relaxed. Elizabeth noticed for the first time David was awake.

“Sleep now please, David,” Elizabeth said. “We should all sleep.” With that, she fell backwards into sleep. The others followed suit, and if anyone had seen them then, they would have looked slightly strange, for they did not look anything like hippies.


	3. Three

Life for the Collins family was easier than they had thought it would be. The moment when their lives truly took a turn was when Barnabas went to see Clementine at Angelbay. She had been doing all sorts of things in attempt to get her company back into its old stride. Barnabas had been taking visits to the town each day to see how Clementine was handling things. As far as he could see, she had been doing a decent job. He had an appointment with her the next day and was unsure of what he would find. He didn’t know whether there would have been a dramatic, sad change in her, or if he would find that she had changed into an organized business woman. He thought that he might find instead that she had returned to her quiet, usual self. He thought about what he wanted to discuss with her. Clementine was, however, doing the opposite. She wasn’t thinking about the upcoming appointment but about her cannery and the Collins family’s money situation. She had a few decisions still to make, but once she had made them, everything would run smoothly.

On that very certain Tuesday, at 1:15 pm, Barnabas walked slowly to Angelbay through the town. As he approached the door, he glanced sadly sideways at the burnt remains of the Collins cannery across the way. He hastily carried on towards Angelbay nervously, not knowing what he would find.

.....

Clementine was waiting for Barnabas in her office, sat stiffly behind her desk, tapping the top of it anxiously. Soon enough there was a polite knock on the door.

“Come in,” she called. Barnabas entered to find Clementine was showing no expression. “Take a seat, Barnabas.” She gestured to the chair in front of her. Barnabas came forward slowly, looking around, remembering the last time he had been in that room.

“It’s changed a little since I was last here...” he breathed deeply. “I hope this time I will not be offered a large sum of money in return for my family’s business.”

“No, however I am going to offer you money,” Clementine said. “Just enough for your house (as I owe you that anyway) and cannery. You can earn money from there.” Barnabas raised his eyebrows slightly and spoke.

“So, I take it you aren’t following Angie’s footsteps?” He glanced over at a cheque beside her elbow.

“No. However, this is my company now, my decisions, and this is my choice,” Clementine glared at him for a moment before slamming a pen down in front of him with such force the desk shook. She pushed the cheque and a document towards him, and pointed to a couple of spaces on the document. “Sign here... and here, please. That is, if you want the money.” She stared expectantly at him. Barnabas was still taking everything in. He picked up the pen and signed in the required spaces.

“It is highly unlikely of someone who has lived with Angelique Bouchard for the past two hundred years,” he said, forcing a strange expression so Clementine couldn’t read how he felt. It took all Clementine’s strength to resist correcting two hundred years to one hundred and ninety six. “She would have only given me the money if I handed over the cannery...” Clementine nodded, smiling a little. She shook her head slightly and took the document.

“I need to just do something with this. I’ll be back in a minute,” she got up, went over to the door, opened it and walked out. Barnabas glanced around the room again, flooded in the memory of that fateful day when Angie had tried to get him to love her again. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice when Clementine came back until she was right behind him. She placed a gloved hand delicately on his shoulder.

“Angelique makes you look like a sweet and innocent lamb,” he said. Clementine didn’t take this well. Barnabas felt her grip tighten and a small burst of pain. He looked round to see her four navy covered fingers digging into him. He reached up and carefully prised her fingers away. She seemed to realize she had been hurting him and let go.

“No, she doesn’t,” she hissed. She wandered over to the window and looked out. “I am pyrokinetic and know a little witchcraft that Angie taught me. If she makes you say that, then you don’t know me.” She went over to the desk and pulled a cigarette out of nowhere. She stuck her hand out at Barnabas, who took it, confused, and Clementine pulled back. Her glove remained in Barnabas’s hand, who was now very confused. She flicked her wrist, and her little finger had a candle-like flame balanced on it. She raised it carefully to the cigarette, which lit, shook her hand again and the flame went out. Then, she shoved her hand back in the glove Barnabas was still holding.

“Your talent is... curious...” Barnabas muttered. Clementine put the cigarette in her mouth, sat down, and began scribbling a few things down. She set the cigarette on the desk, and looked at Barnabas.

“As I’ve said before, I could torch this whole town without these gloves.” Barnabas nodded, trying not to think about what would happen if Clementine lost her gloves. A small knock on the door brought him back to reality. Clementine looked up and said “Come in.”

“I have a letter here for you, Miss Clementine...” she trailed off when she saw Barnabas and hurried forward with the letter. She placed it on the desk before practically running from the room, not wanting to intrude. Barnabas stared at the door in surprise and was about to speak when Clementine answered his question.

“That was Marie,” Clementine said, picking up the letter. “She delivers messages and notes. She’s my personal assistant. You’ll have to leave in a minute,” she added, reading the note. “It seems Ms Stoddard wants to see me. Now quick, what did you come for?” Barnabas had almost forgotten.

“Well... I didn’t really come for anything... I just wanted to speak about the little problem my family is in...” after a while, he managed to speak. “How long will it take to rebuild Collinwood?”

“Only as long as it needs to,” Clementine whispered. “First I will have it seen to that they build what you dearly need, then rebuild the rest.” Barnabas nodded, and got up to leave. Clementine rose too, and skirted around the desk towards him. She shook his hand and went over to the door. Barnabas followed and exited the office when she opened the door. He nodded again and thanked her, almost walking straight into Elizabeth, who was waiting outside.

“I shall see you in a little while, Elizabeth,” Barnabas said as the woman looked up from staring at the floor. She walked stiffly over to where Clementine stood with the door. She raised her eyebrows at her and entered, Clementine behind. Elizabeth sat, and Clementine did the same. The pair sat in silence for a while until Elizabeth’s searching eyes found the cheque.

“So,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “So... You’re giving us money?” Clementine’s eyes confirmed that yes, she was giving them money. “Enough to cover the house and business I assume...” Elizabeth snatched the slip of paper and examined it carefully. Meanwhile, Clementine had become rather interested in her cigarette, which had gone out. “Were you intending to give this to us?” Clementine appeared not to hear her, as she didn’t reply until she had removed one of her gloves and relit the cigarette. Elizabeth gave a little cough to show that she was still there, and Clementine spoke.

“I was intending to give it to Barnabas,” she said firmly, pulling on her glove. “But seeing as you are here, there was no point.” She flexed her fingers and made a show of smoking for a minute. Elizabeth’s hands turned so white from gripping the arm of her chair and the cheque, they looked almost as if they had been coated in chalk. “So, there you are. The money that you came to beg for. Only you didn’t have to beg for it, seeing as I set aside the money for your purposes.”

Elizabeth looked as if she would start shaking, her expression unreadable, her hands turning whiter, and her neatly curled hair would bob up and down. She seemed to think the sensible thing to do would be to leave as she got up once more and walked to the door. Clementine’s face looked strangely triumphant. She grinned as she placed her cigarette on the desk and casually made her way over to Elizabeth.

“Good to see you, Liz,” she said, still grinning oddly. “I was starting to think you’d never visit me in office... Ah, well, you cleared up the main matter. Don’t forget the cheque... Be seeing you!” With that, Clementine slammed the door in Elizabeth’s face.

“How rude,” Elizabeth murmured to herself, exiting the building, finding Barnabas outside. “That woman slammed her door in my face!” she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and looking indignantly at Barnabas. He merely raised his eyebrows and started walking towards the place where they could find their hope.

.....

Back in her office, Clementine was frowning slightly at her desk, cigarette back in her hand. She inhaled it, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Her feelings were mixed. She had sympathy for the Collins family, even though she hated Josette and mildly disliked Barnabas. She felt worried about what Angelique would’ve thought of her had she been alive. Clementine looked up a little and saw in the pile of folders (that still sat on her desk from a week ago) that a piece of paper stuck out of a folder. It almost seemed like it was like that on purpose. It had two letters written on it in suspiciously familiar handwriting: C.E. was clearly inked possibly with the very same pen that lay before her. Curiosity got the better of her, so she reached out and brought the pile in front of her. She slid the folder out and opened it. She took out the piece of paper and found a note from Angie. Clementine felt mild hatred start to rise in her, but she pushed it back down. She read it quickly, and then read a second time. It read:

Clementine,

I know it seems very unlikely, but I have to try to get Barnabas back. I know you said that you understand, but trust me, you don’t. You weren’t there the night I killed Josette and turned him into a vampire or the day he rejected me, I felt the need to get revenge. Even though I got it, I couldn’t help but hate the rest of his family, so I continued, even though I had done my part. You probably already knew this, though. It was like I was just an obstacle before he could get to Josette. 

Your sister, Angelique

Clementine was now fairly confused about how Angelique had felt. In her note, she had spoken about having to try to get Barnabas back to her. It had happened so long ago – nearly two centuries. Angie and Barnabas had had a love-hate relationship, as she had rightly stated in her letter.

“Some things are really hard to get over,” she muttered to herself. “Angie had a hard time because some wounds never heal. It was still raw all these years later... Barnabas’s return had just rubbed her the wrong way, causing her to release some of her anger.” But no matter how hard Clementine tried to understand Angelique and her problems, the more tangled she got, in a never-ending web of thought, where the harder you pull, the worse the situation gets. The positive side of Angie was one she had always seen; could she be seeing the negative side for the first time? She decided that it wasn’t worth it, and kept Angelique seen from a positive perspective.


	4. Four

The next year and a half was painful for the Collins family. Their beloved Collinwood was being rebuilt by a lot of workers that Clementine’s money managed to pay for. Gradually, the main hall that served as a large airy sitting room was recreated. Then the kitchen and dining room, the bedrooms, and then it became a liveable space, as the rooms in the old wing weren’t necessary. However, despite the fact that they did not need the other rooms, Barnabas had them rebuilt, too. He said that if he was to have a home, it had to be a whole house, not just a half. So the rest of the house was built, and the Collins family had their mansion back.

.....

Once they had a place to live, Barnabas and Elizabeth made a joint agreement to have the cannery rebuilt with the rest of Clementine’s money. After a majority of the money had been spent, Josette took Carolyn and David to buy some clothes, food, duvets, pillows and cooking equipment. They were accompanied by the ghost of David’s mother and a large sum of money left over from the house and cannery, which was gradually moving uphill.

Later, the trio (counting invisible ghosts, the quad) arrived back at Collinwood loaded down with bags and bags of supplies. The fire in the main hall was lit, its orange flames casting a soft light everywhere. Willie was in the kitchen awaiting the food so he could put it away. Josette delivered the food and cooking equipment directly to him, then sent Carolyn upstairs to Elizabeth in the drawing room, where Elizabeth took the clothes to everyone’s rooms, and David was given the burden of making sure there was at least one pillow and duvet in each room. With time, everyone was very much at home. But nothing really happened until the cannery was opened opposite Angelbay again. Business went well. _Then_ the money started coming in; beds were bought, a desk for Elizabeth, chairs and tables, a sofa or two, a couple of coffins, items that took people’s fancy, such as clocks or lamps, an oven (they had to stop using the fire for everything at some point) and everything else that you might find in a house.

.....

Josette was getting on well in the Collins’ house. Barnabas took good care of her, Carolyn tried her best whenever she was around, David stuck to her like he did to Vicky, Willie was courteous and Elizabeth was polite. Nothing seemed strange or hidden in that house. Everyone knew Barnabas and Josette were vampires. They all knew David really could see ghosts and that Carolyn was a werewolf. And of course they all knew Clementine, who visited them sometimes, was pyrokinetic. Due to the fact she had been Angelique’s ‘sister’, and was also the one who had burnt their house to a crisp, Clementine was never truly welcome in Collinwood, no matter how hard they tried to forget the past.

Clementine was also working hard not to feel any hate towards Barnabas and the rest of his no-good family. Angelbay was making good business, and the Collins’ cannery wasn’t doing as well yet. The reason behind the fact that Angelbay cannery was producing more cans of fish was that Clementine was paying her workers more and had more shifts, so her workers weren’t as tired and was constantly working. If someone was off, another who wasn’t too tired and had nothing to do would take over the position. The Collins’ hadn’t gotten that far with their business and envied Clementine for her luck and good fortune.

Every now and again one of the Collins’ would visit Clementine in office. She had not taken this lightly. Barnabas was usually the one who came to her every week. Occasionally it was Elizabeth or Josette. But Barnabas was the only one who was actually willing to speak to her. Their conversations consisted of the past. For example, Barnabas was extremely interested in when Clementine found out about her pyrokinesis.

“How exactly did you find out that you were pyrokinetic?” Barnabas said to her one day.

“It’s a long story...” she muttered in reply.

“Go on, I’m curious...” Barnabas insisted. Clementine rolled her eyes and took off one of her gloves then began playing with her flame.

“Alright... I was seven. My mother and I worked at a manor on the outskirts of a city just off Maine. It was a cold winter’s evening and I was ordered to light the fire. I’d seen my mother do it before, and I was determined to try. I lit it in the way my mother had shown me, and came away with my hand on fire. It was agony, but I didn’t want to admit it. I stole a pair of Lady Ferr’s thick gloves.

“I was helping serve supper when Lady Ferr noticed I was wearing her gloves, and they were also burnt. She shouted, and I jumped, spilling hot tea over my hands. My hands already on fire, the tea only made it worse, and before long, the gloves were burning. I ripped them off, only to find my hands had become clubs of fire. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you the rest,” Clementine reached over her desk to a glass of water, which partly evaporated at her touch. “Oops...” She pulled her glove back on and grabbed the glass again. She sipped it, shuddered at the heat, and placed it back on the desk.

“I have seen too many odd things in my life. And what if I chose to believe you?” Barnabas said.

“It seems there’s no holding back the truth. Believe me, I’m terrified you’ll bite me and I’ll crack up,” she said, referring to the night Angelique died. Barnabas nodded slowly.

“Just tell me,” he said. “It does not need to be repeated.” Clementine breathed out.

“Lord Ferr had me chained in the dungeons. They had dungeons built specially for servants that tried to make a break for it, or if they damaged something in the house,” she explained. “He had my hands in fists, and then he chained them that way. He plunged them into buckets of icy water three times a day. He didn’t understand that it just made them worse. Stupid man, he never realised anything until someone told him about it. Only I told no one but myself.”

“You never told him about it?”

“No, why, should I have?” Clementine questioned harshly. Barnabas said nothing, so she carried on. “I spent years there. My mother died of grief, as she was never allowed to see me. Although I suspect she also refused to eat... and so I became lonely until one Angelique Bouchard crossed me quite by accident.” Barnabas stared at Clementine in amazement.

“She helped you?” he asked, stunned.

“Oh, she did more than that,” Clementine said. “She freed me. I was... I can never remember, but I was a few years younger than her. She saved me, and I pledged myself to her, but I could never repay her truly. She killed the lord and lady of the house, and let all the servants go free, too. She took me with her, and we became sisters. She gave me gloves to stop the fire from burning everything and we settled in Collinsport, and built Angelbay.

“It was fun. When Angie reached the age that she should ‘die’ at, she pretended to become her own ‘daughter’. Then when the daughter ‘died’, she became the first Angelique’s ‘grand-daughter’, and so on. I stayed the same. I became Clementine the Never-Aging, thanks to a freeze spell Angie had placed on the both of us. Then we worked together for Angelbay, and that leads us to now.”

The knowledge that Angelique had at least done one good thing in her life changed Barnabas a little; Angie had freed servants kept under rough conditions.


	5. Five

Clementine’s story was something that made Barnabas think. Had Angelique somehow know that there was someone chained in the dungeons of a large manor of the edge of Maine? It seemed impossible. But then, most things to do with the witch were impossible. Clementine was almost as impossible; Barnabas had taken days just to get his head around her pyrokinesis. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to get his head round anything to do with the two ‘sisters’.

Barnabas knew he couldn’t ask Clementine about it, because she probably had no idea. He tried, but he couldn’t seem to shake the thought that was haunting him. Instead, he hung on to it, and pushed it to the back of his mind. If he didn’t know what to do with it yet, he might in future; best to hold on to things you’re not too sure about, anyway.

Clementine had been trying her best to sort out Angelique’s problems. Elizabeth could see this, and made up her mind to help her when she got the opportunity. The Collins family were also working hard by trying to be friendly to Clementine. David was already friendly enough and had nothing much against her; Carolyn was stiff, but tried to be polite when spoken to; Willie was the same as always; Elizabeth was becoming a bit over warm; Josette wouldn’t speak, but would smile a little awkwardly, and Barnabas acted normally. He could always tell when Clementine got uncomfortable.

Clementine resumed the personality she hadn’t used since she was a servant at seven all those years ago. She became oddly bubbly and bright, optimistic, cheerful, and friendly to everyone around her. The sudden change was immediately noticed, and her workers began to worry something had happened to her. Clementine herself felt strange, as if she had stepped into someone else’s skin.

Barnabas, as the one who saw Clementine most often, was the first to notice. Elizabeth was concerned when she heard what had happened to Clementine. Although she didn’t _seem_ any worse for wear, her new personality wasn’t doing her much good. She was missing little hints her workers kept throwing at her, and when she found out she stepped out of character and would glare at whoever had insulted her right under her nose.

.....

The Collins’ were careful not to say anything about her if she was nearby, but Barnabas and Elizabeth discussed what they should do in the evenings. One particular night, Barnabas had an idea.

“Perhaps we should make an offer to her,” he suggested.

“What precisely did you have in mind?” Elizabeth sighed. Barnabas baulked. “We’re not exactly rich.”

“I meant a business offer,” Barnabas rephrased.

“I gathered that,” Elizabeth said with frustration.

“Maybe that our cannery and hers become partners,” he tasted his words for a moment, and then continued. “We divide the fish equally and then both sell the fish under the same name.”

“Yes?” Elizabeth said, waiting for Barnabas to explain fully.

“Well,” he said slowly, “we could split the money. All I’m trying to say is it might bring her back to her senses.”

Elizabeth clasped her hands and brought them up under her nose, supporting her head. She breathed heavily. It could work, but she could never be too sure; but then again there was only one way to find out.

“Alright,” she said finally. Barnabas nodded. “Next time she comes over, or next time you go to see her, suggest it as if it had only just crossed you mind.”

“Very well,” he said in answer, before turning and exiting the drawing room, entering the stream of hot air that was carrying the smell of food up the stairs.

When Barnabas ventured into the dining room, Josette, David and Carolyn were already seated. There were plate set out in the usual places; Carolyn at one end, David sat beside where his father, Roger, used to sit and Josette opposite Roger’s empty seat. Barnabas walked across the room and took the place that Dr. Julia Hoffman sat in until Barnabas had found her using his blood to make her immortal and had thrown her into the sea.

Willie came through carrying a huge pot of vegetables just as Elizabeth drifted in and took her place at the other end of the table where everyone bar Carolyn was. Carolyn was slumped in her seat, sighing.

“David, why do you still sit there?” Elizabeth asked him. David shrugged.

“Because Dad used to sit there,” David replied, gesturing to the seat next to him. Elizabeth breathed out. She shook her head slightly. Just then, Willie came back with a roast chicken.

“Why did we have to have a roast dinner?” complained Carolyn.

“Why not?” Josette answered back. Carolyn shrugged and sat up properly. Willie ignored everything except what he was doing. He dished out vegetables and cut the chicken. He then left to do something else. Barnabas filled the job of giving everyone chicken, and then gave himself a wing.

“When’s Clementine coming over again?” David’s timid voice came from the silence.

“We don’t know,” Elizabeth said, “and I’m not really complaining.”

“Clementine’s not that bad,” Carolyn mumbled as she picked miserably at her carrots. Josette shot her a sidelong glance.

“Well,” Elizabeth began, “she is the reason our house burnt down in the first place.”

“I’d say it’s Angie’s fault for taking her along in the first place,” David piped up. At Barnabas’s expression, Josette spoke.

“Let’s not talk about it,” she put awkwardly. Elizabeth gestured in agreement. They finished their meal in silence, leaving the dishes, cutlery and leftovers for Willie to deal with. He came in grumbling, and smelling strongly of alcohol.

“Why don’t you help him, Carolyn?” Elizabeth asked. Willie looked up hopefully, but Carolyn’s face screwed up with disgust. Elizabeth laughed softly at her expression. “I was only joking...” she said, and Willie turned away with a hopeless face.

.....

That night, Clementine was busy with too much paperwork. When she was alone, she restored her normal self. She had absolutely no idea why she bothered changing her personality, but she did it anyway. It was almost a relief to escape her real life and to change into a made-up character. But sometimes it was annoying, and she liked the evenings when she could just sit and write out important documents. It was April, and it was only a few months until summer, which would be when all the fish came in, and a fortune would be made. The Collins’s business had way less fishermen than hers. What should she do?

She shoved aside all her papers, making them land in a messy pile on the floor. She didn’t care. She rummaged around in her drawers until she found a plain piece of paper. On it, she wrote _Settle official agreement with Collins Canning Company_. She put the end of the pen in her mouth for a second before writing underneath that in small lettering _Move over fishermen_. She sat back, examining the state of her office before throwing down the pen, leaving the note somewhere visible and piling her documents back onto the desk. She got up, walked to the door, took a last look around, closed the door and shut the cannery up for the night. With that, she made her way along the darkened seafront, heading home.


	6. Six

It rained heavily the next day. Clementine shut herself up in her office, going through file after file, filling out parts here and there, shoving them in large envelopes and setting them aside to be taken out later. Once she’d worked her way through them all, she went and got the old files. She rifled through them, sorting out what could be kept and what could be put in a box somewhere, collecting dust for the next century or so. She kept all the old important documents, and all the useless notes went in the other pile.

.....

Back at Collinwood, Barnabas was stood out on a balcony, alone in the rain. He was staring out towards the distant fishing village, the surrounding trees swaying beneath his gaze. He was trying to figure out what exactly he planned to say to Clementine when he next saw her and asked about a partnership in business.

“Uncle Barnabas?” David was beside him, gazing out with him. “Why are you out here in the rain?”

“I’m thinking, Master David,” he sighed heavily. “I plan to propose a hand in business partnership to Clementine.”

David also thought for a while. He had an idea for how Barnabas could start a conversation about business.

“I think I have an idea,” he said finally, and told Barnabas. He listened in wonder.

“I think... perhaps... it could work,” Barnabas said after a slight pause. “Come, Master David, or we shall get wetter still.”

They went inside and Barnabas went to see Elizabeth. She was not in the drawing room, but Willie was, and said she was off somewhere, but where exactly he didn’t know. So Barnabas ventured further around the mansion. He found Carolyn, but when asked she merely shrugged unhelpfully. Barnabas started to get impatient, until he found Josette, who said she had last seen Elizabeth in the dining room with a newspaper and a cup of tea. So to the dining room Barnabas trekked, and find Elizabeth there he did.

“Ah, Elizabeth!” he cried in relief. “I must have had to walk through the whole house!”

“Why on Earth did you want to see me that urgently?” she asked, amused. Barnabas took a seat to her left.

“I wanted to see you before the fantastic idea young Master David gave me slipped my mind,” he answered. He told Elizabeth, and she nodded, impressed.

“Strange that David came up with that,” she smiled. “Of all the people!”

Barnabas held his head up slightly and announced that he was going to visit Clementine. Elizabeth considered this.

“Okay,” she said thoughtfully, “but don’t make the offer. If you make it clear you have something to say, then she’ll be interested. Make sure she knows you want to tell her something, but don’t say to her what you want to. Make it clear that it’s to do with business and you’d like her to come by some time to speak about it.” Elizabeth baulked before continuing. “But don’t actually say that you want to speak to her about something and you plan on her coming round.”

Barnabas looked out of the window. It was still raining, but the sun was out. Elizabeth followed his gaze to the hazy rainbow that had appeared in the grey-blue sky. The rain stopped lashing down against the windows and all sound ceased except the breathing of the two Collins’. The droplets of water left on the windows trickled down, collecting in a small puddle on the window ledge. Barnabas’s eyebrows lifted slightly and he disappeared through the door. Elizabeth shrugged and went back to her newspaper.

.....

Keeping what Elizabeth had said in mind, he called Willie to drive him to town. Shopping needed to be done anyway, and Willie obliged. They drove off and arrived in town after a while. Barnabas good naturedly thanked Willie and set off towards the red building that he used to hate.

“They really need to change their logo,” Barnabas thought, staring blankly up at the fair haired woman pictured on the logo. “I’m pretty sure it’s about time there was a little bit of difference...”

He walked straight in and went to the secretary. The secretary was a moody twenty-four year old woman with black hair and skin almost as pale as Barnabas’s. The vampire studied her carefully, eyes narrowed. He flexed his over-long fingers and laid them on the desk. The secretary looked up and glared miserably at him.

“What do you want?” she said in a bored, thick voice. Barnabas gave her a questioning look that she returned.

“What do I call you?” he asked smoothly. The woman sighed, apparently annoyed.

“Casey Lark,” she muttered. “What about you, freak?”

Barnabas looked mildly insulted, but didn’t show it too much. Casey ignored this completely.

“My name is Barnabas Collins,” he said, standing up straight, placing his hands on his hips and looking up, trying to seem grand and majestic. “I request an appointment with Miss Clementine Everwood.”

Casey slouched in her chair, but her expression was confused.

“I thought she became Bouchard a long time ago...” Casey said, her mouth twisting sideways. Barnabas leaned in over the desk.

“I believe that her correct surname would be Everwood,” he said in a low voice. Casey rifled none too gently through some papers and shoved one in Barnabas’s face.

“I never heard that name in my life. See here? It says ‘Bouchard’! Not... whatever it was you said!” Casey said fiercely, an odd tone of determination and a hint of anger mixed in with her bored tone.

“Did she ask you to say that for her?” Barnabas said lamely.

“I did not.” Clementine’s voice came from a dark hallway to the right. Barnabas pushed himself upright and looked for the sound source; however, Clementine was not to be seen. Casey stood up hurriedly, putting the paper back and shoving pens and ink cartridges out of sight, attempting to tidy the desk in a rush. Barnabas was still peering into the shadows. A silhouette emerged from the darkness, and Casey finally stopped pushing things around and stood straight up, her black hair falling in her face.

There was something different about Clementine when she came in to view, and Barnabas couldn’t quite place it at first. She was wearing black gloves, a simple business outfit... what was it? Barnabas felt a little better when he noticed Casey was also looking confoundedly at her boss; he wasn’t the only one who had worked out a difference.

“How – Clementine,” Barnabas was trying his best to keep his voice even. “What did you hear?”

“Oh, pretty much everything from you asking for an appointment,” she replied airily, one hand at her waist, the other hanging at her side. “It would seem I haven’t told you everything...” She was walking differently, almost elegantly, carefully placing one heeled boot in front of the other. She approached the desk and motioned for Casey to sit. She leaned back against the desk, supported by her hands. “Although, I have told you a great deal. Shall we?”

She took off again, fading into the shadows once more, followed closely by Barnabas, leaving poor Casey to carry on with her boring job. They came by Clementine’s office, and entered. Only having seen Clementine close up had Barnabas worked out the difference beside elegance. Her vibrant red hair, that was usually let loose about her shoulders with perhaps the sides tied together at the back, was pinned back neatly in a low bun, little red wisps escaping the wrath of the elastic. She examined Barnabas closely, her sharp eyes seeing every movement he made. She realised what he was thinking after a while and she smiled.

“I see you’ve noticed how I’ve done my hair,” she whispered, slipping into the chair behind her desk. Barnabas let out his breath, walked the length of the room and sat opposite Clementine. She gazed deep into his eyes and tried to work out what he was thinking. She was lucky; she knew exactly what he was thinking. “I also see you’re think of a rather, in your eyes, unfortunate turn of events involving a certain Angelique Bouchard...”

Barnabas shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t like it when Clementine acted as if she could read his mind, when she knew perfectly well that was what he always thought of when he entered that room. She breathed out in an unheard laugh and lowered her eyes.

“So why are you here?” she asked, still smiling ever so slightly. Barnabas had his hands clasped, and his head was bowed.

“There is a matter of urgent discussion at Collinwood,” he said, hoping what he was indicating wasn’t too obvious. Clementine raised her head a little, interested. “It would help if you were to involve yourself in it.”

“That’s it?” said Clementine, not particularly impressed. “But, however, if you say so, I will come. When shall it be?”

She fumbled for a slip of paper and came across the one with _Settle official agreement with Collins Canning Company_ and _Move over fishermen_ scribbled on it. She turned it over, her pen poised, ready to write.

“Tomorrow, if possible,” Barnabas said, slightly haughty all of a sudden. Clementine sat back in her chair.

“No,” she said quietly.

“What was that, sorry?”

“No,” she said again, louder this time.

“Why is that?” Barnabas stood and bent over the desk, his hands flat on the edge.

“It’s a Saturday tomorrow,” she whispered, a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes on her face.

“And... what does that have to do with anything?” Barnabas growled lowly. Clementine was still smiling.

“Everything in the world...” she closed her eyes and the smile vanished. She opened her eyes, held up her gloved hand and threateningly pulled one of the fingers. “Sunday is the only option, I’m afraid...” She released her glove and wrote it down. Barnabas scowled, but removed his hands from the desk.

“I shall expect you at three o’clock in the afternoon,” he said, his voice pompous again, as if he was proud of his manor and of the appointment. “Good day, Miss... ah... _Bouchard_...”

His eyes were teasing as he tried to stare Clementine down. His efforts were fruitless, however; Clementine’s eyes were burning with a fire you would have to fight forever to put out. Scared of the blaze, he straightened his clothes and inclined his head ever so slightly. He turned and exited, leaving Clementine to watch the door close with an expression full of distaste and disgust on her face.

 _Stupid, really,_ she thought to herself. _What an idiot he seems. Yet, he thinks he’s so professional..._

Clementine groaned and carried on looking through her paperwork before she realised Barnabas had messed up her desk.

“Damn that vampire!” she yelled, kicking her desk so hard all the papers floated a centimetre above the surface.

“Are you alright, Miss?” came a timid voice. Marie was peering around the door.

“Fine, Marie,” she sighed.

“Was it anything to do with the Mr Collins who just left the building?” Marie asked.

“Yes. Yes, it was...”


	7. Seven

Sunday was cloudy, with the sun trying to peer through cracks. Barnabas was stood on the front steps outside Collinwood. It was five to three in the afternoon, and the engine of a car could be heard as Clementine drove carefully up the drive and parked in front of the house. She got out and marched up to Barnabas.

“Not a bad day, hmm?” she said cheerfully. Barnabas nodded curtly and let her inside. They walked side by side to the drawing room. Elizabeth was sat, her glasses on the end of her nose, going through papers.

“Good afternoon, Clementine,” Elizabeth said. “I must say David has wanted to see you again for quite some time.”

Clementine raised her eyebrows a little. Barnabas coughed.

“Oh, yes, down to business,” Elizabeth said. “Barnabas?”

“We have had a little idea...” he began, following David’s words. “I – that is to say, we – think it might be good if we... joined businesses.”

Clementine allowed herself a small smile. She saw where this was headed.

“We have a considerably lesser income than you, and we have fewer fishermen, fewer boats, and fewer workers,” Barnabas continued. “We were thinking we could join businesses, and sell a brand of fish under a different name than either of our two companies.”

“I get it,” Clementine said. “I planned to move some of my workers over to you, but this is a better idea...”

The rest of the afternoon was spent making arrangements. Papers that had already been obtained were completed, and decisions were made. Clementine was about to leave when a shout stopped her.

“Wait!” cried David, hurtling forward. “I need to say hello and goodbye!”

He ran towards Clementine and grabbed her hand, stroking the silk of her glove.

“Hello,” he panted. “Goodbye,” he added as she pulled herself away and got in the car. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Very,” Clementine promised. She smiled warmly at the boy that had been nine what seemed not so long ago. It had gone by fast. “See you on Wednesday, Elizabeth and Barnabas!”

They all waved cheerfully, Elizabeth maybe not so, as she still remembered having Clementine’s door slammed in her face. David stood with a slightly miserable expression on his face, watching the car as it started and drove off, eventually vanishing. Clementine turned back and waved, before facing forward again and driving back in to town.

.....

The Collins’ went back into the house and went off in different directions. David went down to the room that belonged to Dr. Julia Hoffman, a psychiatrist that was hired for two weeks to help David, only she ended up practically living in Collinwood. David occasionally visited her room when he wanted to be alone. It was unusual, seeing as Julia had done next to nothing for him, and Vicky, a girl who knew next to nothing about psychiatry, was able to help. But then, nothing was technically _wrong_ with David. He could simply see the ghost of his dead mother.

Josette was another who wandered freely through Collinwood. Since the mansion had been rebuilt, it lacked in the maritime theme that there used to be. They hadn’t bothered to replace any of the stone seahorses or wooden merpeople due to the fact that a stone seahorse had killed Barnabas’s parents and Angelique had brought a majority of the wooden sculptures to life in 1972. Sometimes, if you were to take a stroll through the house, you might find Josette stood in front of the fireplace, looking up at the empty space where Barnabas’s portrait used to hang.

Josette was stood here when Barnabas, David and Elizabeth re-entered the house. David went to keep her company. If you were to look at them, you would see the backs of a young vampire girl and a ten year old boy, both staring glumly up at an empty spot on the wall. It may seem like a waste of time, but when you have nothing better to do, it’s more interesting than nothing.

Barnabas approached the pair, treading slowly, careful not to disturb them. He ended up in front of Josette and David, seeing his cue to leave, tip-toed out of the room and down the stairs to Julia’s empty room. Josette turned in time to see the back of David’s dark head disappearing. When she turned back, Barnabas was right in her face. She leaned in close, reached up and gently kissed him. Her hand went up to the back of his neck, and she felt his hand slip around her waist. They stood like that for a while, until Carolyn came into the room, when they let go of each other and hung around awkwardly as Carolyn crossed to go down the same stairs David vanished down. The teenager was muttering furiously, cursing under her breath.

“God damn you, David,” she muttered, and the two lovers heard her clearly. “Just wait ‘til I get to the full moon...”

Barnabas raised an eyebrow at Josette who laughed softly and planted a light kiss on his cheek before floating off towards the stairs and the drawing room. Barnabas hovered for a moment, his arms feeling empty without Josette, and then he followed her just as David ran in.

“Uncle Barnabas! She – Carolyn – is going to murder me!” David called. “I knocked over her lava lamp, apparently, and now she’s going to kill me!”

Both Elizabeth and Carolyn came into the room now, Elizabeth at the top of the main stairs, Carolyn the top of the steps that went down to Julia’s room.

“Where is he? Where’s David?” Carolyn demanded of Barnabas. Barnabas looked nervously at Elizabeth who was next to him by now.

“That will do, Carolyn,” she said firmly, striding over to her, gripping her arm in a vice-like grip and leading her away. Poor David was trembling like a leaf behind Barnabas, trying to keep out of sight. The pair vanished and Josette made an apparition out of thin air. She ran down to Barnabas and David and gently hugged the boy before standing firmly half behind Barnabas, who looked at her affectionately. David pretended not to see and scampered off. Willie had only just entered the room when a cry came from up the stairs.

“Aarrgghh!” Elizabeth’s voice rang out. “David!”

David meekly came out from behind a door and shuffled up the stairs. Barnabas and Josette exchanged glances. Barnabas gestured to the door and Josette nodded, taking his hand and guiding him along.

Once outside, the pair walked along the drive side by side, their joined hands swinging between them. They moved towards the trees and strolled through them, remembering the day they had travelled along the very path they now trod, soaking wet and chilled to the bone.

“Do you remember the old days, Josette?” Barnabas murmured softly. Josette nodded.

“I do, and clearly too.” She smiled widely and stopped walking, causing Barnabas to stop too. She gazed up into his face and reached up and stroked his jaw line. Then she whispered to him, her voice barely audible. “Promise we’ll be together forever?”

The words went deep, right down to Barnabas’s heart. He also had memories of that day; that was around the time Josette had been taken from him, and he had been locked in a box by Angelique and the townspeople. He found his mind wandering to Clementine, and where she was.

No, he said in his head. I am Barnabas Collins, and I am stood in a forest with my one true love, Josette DuPres.

“God is my witness, Josette,” he replied, aloud this time. “I swear it.”

They moved closer for the second time in the same short space of time, and stood like that for ages, embraced tightly, lost in their own world of heaven. The only thing each was conscious of was the other, and how light their touch was. They were both full of finesse and delicacy, none of which Angelique had ever had, for a good word to describe her would be rough, or certainly rougher than Josette could ever hope to be.

.....

We shall leave Barnabas and Josette behind for the time being and pay a visit to Clementine, who had a terrible headache, and was sat behind her desk massaging her forehead. She was frowning down at a letter Angelique had written and had never sent. Presently, Clementine could not make either head or tail of it; this was probably why Angelique had never sent it.

Mr Tomlin,

I am afraid we cannot let you continue working for the board here at Angelbay. You don’t seem terribly stable in the mind any more, and you are not quite what you used to be.

I am sorry if this seems too mean, but it is the truth. Only it is more of a lie, considering the fact that the rest of the board considers you very intelligent. It’s simply the fact that nobody really likes you enough to have you to continue working on the board. Please contact me if you have any issues.

Yours,

Angelique Bouchard

What didn’t make sense was that Angelique had given away that she was lying and had simply said that no one liked Mr Tomlin. Clementine rubbed her head too hard and poked herself in the eye. She closed her eye as an immediate reaction and pressed her hand to it. She then leaned back in her chair to wait for the pain to reside. After a while, she got up and took her hand away. She looked down onto the street from the window.

“I wonder...” she muttered, as a sharp stab of pain from her head made her come to her senses. “What if...? No, it can’t be...”

Clementine turned back to her desk and began to rummage through the drawers, throwing the letter to Mr Tomlin into one of them. She pulled out a few old photographs of even older paintings that used to hang in Collinwood. Clementine tossed these carelessly over her shoulder and continued to rifle through the papers that cluttered up the space.

“I really need these cleaned out,” she said to nobody in particular. She twisted her mouth sideways and threw out a fat folder, brimming with documents. “Ugh... I can’t find anything – aha!”

Clementine then tugged at a yellowing bit of paper which came loose and she set it on the desk before admiring the mess she’d made.

“I’ll have something to do later at least,” she said cheerfully. Marie opened the door slowly. An intake of breath from the door made Clementine look up. “Yes?”

“What – why – how...” Marie shook herself. “What happened?”

“I was... clearing out a drawer or two because... well, I found this,” Clementine answered defensively, shaking the yellowed paper.

“Alright... if you’re... I’ll be off.”

“Wait!” Clementine called. “You must have come up here for some reason.”

“Oh – yes – Ms Stoddard called not too long ago. She said she’d like to come down and visit you sometime over the next week,” Marie said quietly. Clementine nodded.

“Have you put her on hold?”

“No, Miss.”

“Okay, it’s fine, I’ll call her now.” Clementine dropped the paper and picked up the phone while dialling the correct number.

.....

Back in Collinwood, Willie was cleaning in the drawing room when the phone started buzzing; Carolyn and Elizabeth were speaking whilst David was cleaning up the broken lava lamp.

“Collins residence?” Willie’s tired voice said from the receiver.

“Hello, is Ms Stoddard home?” Clementine asked, chewing her lip.

“Yes, shall I go get her?”

“I had the impression she tried to call me a little back.”

“Oh, um... I wouldn’t know about that, miss,” Willie replied.

“No, of course you wouldn’t. Anyway, tell her that she has an appointment tomorrow as soon as she can get away,” Clementine said.

“Of course, miss,” Willie answered.

“Thank you,” said Clementine, and with that she cut the line. She threw the phone down and leaned back, huffing. She closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep, dreaming of the past.

.....

Back in the dense forest surrounding Collinwood, Barnabas and Josette were still wrapped in each other’s embrace. Nothing interrupted them, not even the birds. It was a while before they broke apart, and then they went for a walk along the cliffs. The sea crashed against the rocks below, foam flying through the air. Sea spray spurted up at the pair as they made their way to Widows’ Hill. This was where Josette had lost her life, and where she had been reborn. It was also where Barnabas had cast himself in order to be with Josette, and had become a vampire; courtesy of Angelique. Again, Victoria Winters, formerly Maggie Evans, had died, but was replaced by Josette.

“You have memories of this place, my love?” Barnabas said.

“Yes... sad memories... yet... happy,” Josette murmured. Barnabas nodded.

“Both the good and the bad have happened here, Josette,” he said. “We must forget the bad, and treasure those reminders of the great.”


	8. Eight

When they returned to the house, Barnabas and Josette went separate ways; Barnabas to the drawing room to use the telephone and Josette to talk to David, who was in his room.

The telephone was sitting on the desk in the drawing room, the receiver on top of the dial. Barnabas picked it up and pressed the numbers. He held the receiver up awkwardly, and waited for a response. Clementine’s bored voice echoed through.

“Angelbay cannery. How can I help?”

“Ah, Clementine; I need to see you tomorrow.”

“Oh, hello, Barnabas. An appointment, you say? Tomorrow?” There came a faint rustling of papers.

“Yes, it’s a fairly urgent matter, or at least... not very important,” Barnabas said, placing his words carefully.

“Not very important, yet still urgent?” asked Clementine, her voice sounding amused.

“I should say this; it is concerning a drawer that I have noticed you always keep _locked_.”

Clementine’s eyes widened, though Barnabas didn’t know it.

“What do you know of it?” she said sharply. Barnabas smiled to himself.

“Not much. I only know that you keep something dear to you inside.”

Clementine’s voice shook with mild anger and fear as she replied.

“Why?” she whispered. “You stick your awfully long nose in everyone else’s business, but for what?”

Barnabas felt satisfied, but he didn’t want to admit it; he wasn’t quite sure why, though.

“It is never for personal gain, if that is what thou speak of,” he replied smoothly.

“No. I won’t let you – you cannot – no.”

“I shall go with Elizabeth, then, and I will see you after her appointment.”

“Ha,” snorted Clementine, “try getting past Casey when she hasn’t had any caffeine in the morning.”

“What?”

“Oh, I forget how little you know. Ignore me, Barnabas, I’m just playing little sister.”

“We are not related, Clementine. Clementine?”

Clementine had hung up on Barnabas, having heard enough of his old-fashioned speech and annoying ways. Barnabas placed the phone back and strolled out of the room.

Angelbay was noisy. Clementine felt she could hold the board meeting up no longer. She sighed, stood up, rammed her chair under the desk and grabbed a pen. She ventured across the way and into the meeting room. Her hands caressed the wooden boat head that Angelique had displayed as she passed it, moving up the table to the end, where she chucked the pen and herself, kicking her feet up, so her boots were resting on the table edge. The board members looked at her with disdain.

“So, er, Clementine,” one to the second left of Clementine said, who happened to be Mr Tomlin. “How are things going at the moment? The workers don’t seem to be bothered about anything.”

“Good, that’s good,” Clementine muttered. “I have made an agreement with Collins Canning,” she said, with a raised voice. She swung her legs down and leant forward, her elbows hard on the table now. “Is there any criticism that needs to be dealt with?”

“Was that wise?” someone anonymous said. Clementine stood up, pushing her chair back.

“Is this your company?” Clementine asked, smiling. “Oh... hang on... yes, I suppose it is. Never mind that, then!”

She sat back down and pulled her chair under the table. Some of the board exchanged glances, their eyebrows raised. Clementine waited until they all faced her.

“Alright, so about this agreement,” she said clearly, “I have settled that we should move some workers and boats over to the Collins’. We are to sell our own fish brands under our own names, Angelbay and Collins Canning, but then we are to sell a brand of fish together, under the name I intended to rechristen this cannery.”

“May I ask something, Clement?” Mr Tomlin asked. Clementine’s upper lip twitched at the abbreviation of her name.

“We are given names for reasons, Mr Tomlin,” she said in an undertone, “and mine was never meant to be shortened.”

“Begging your pardon, then, miss.”

“You’re forgiven. What is your question?”

“How exactly will this partnership benefit us?” Mr Tomlin placed his question carefully.

“I am doing the opposite of Angelique did, and I intend to help the Collins family. We earn much more than what they do-”

“Wish I did,” a whisper said.

“-and we ought to help them, at least for a little duration of time.”

She shuffled some papers and pulled out a document that had been signed earlier that day. Someone coughed.

“Here’s the proof,” she said, holding her head up as she looked at the paper and pushed it down the table, to Mr Fielder, “for those of you who have trouble believing I have Angelique’s most hated objects in a partnership that is their only hope.”

Mr Fielder nodded as he scanned through the writing.

“It all seems to be in order,” he said, passing it on to Mr Chester, who handed it to Mr Tomlin, who shoved it in Freddy Waxwing’s face.

“Good. Does everyone have to look at it? No? Fine by me. I shall be leaving,” said Clementine, and with that she stood up and left the meeting behind.

“Wait – Clementine – don’t you want to dismiss us?”

“Dismiss yourselves.”

Clementine slammed her office door shut and strolled casually over to her desk, setting down her pen. She sat in her chair and felt for the chain around her neck. She reached around the back of her neck and unclasped it. At the end of it was a simple key with nothing out of the ordinary about it. She coiled the chain in her hand, and slipped the key off of it. With this bog-standard key, Clementine reached down to the last drawer in her polished wooden desk and pushed the key into the lock. Taking a deep breath, she turned it.

.....

David was picking out all the little glass pieces out of Carolyn’s carpet. Elizabeth was consoling her daughter, or trying to, by promising her a new lava lamp.

“But I had that one for only two years, and it was the best there was to buy!” Carolyn complained. Willie rushed into the room.

“Ms Stoddard, Clementine says you have an appointment tomorrow as soon as you can get away,” he puffed. “She called back.”

“Thank you, Willie,” Elizabeth answered. “Carolyn, there may well be plenty better lava lamps out there.”

“What were you even doing in here, David?” Carolyn demanded as Willie left.

“I noticed your door was open and shut it too hard,” David mumbled, looking up.

“Hmm...” Elizabeth thought somehow this was a lie. “Come, Carolyn; leave your cousin alone.”

.....

Josette was stood on the balcony that faced away to the forest that lay beyond Collinwood. Barnabas joined her, standing like a silent sentry by her side. She turned her head and looked at him, then lowered her gaze and turned away again.

“Barnabas, what did I miss when you were locked in that box?” Josette asked without looking at Barnabas.

“Painful thoughts, Josette,” Barnabas replied. “More than you would ever care to feel.”

“Tell me, please,” she whispered softly, now facing him again. Her soft hand gripped his.

“I thought of how I missed you so,” he murmured, “and how that witch had torn us apart. I thought of my dear family, and our beautiful house. I thought of how fortunate we were in all our riches and glory. I feel that now the good people of Collinsport shall regain respect for us. Clementine is doing a good deed to try and help us, Josette. We must put our faith in her.”

“But she was under Angelique’s control,” Josette said, expressing her solicitude. Barnabas nodded.

“She has something locked away in a drawer in her desk. I fear it may have belonged to Angelique, but I cannot be sure.”

“You intend to find out what it is?”

“Such is my plan,” Barnabas nodded. “I do not know what it could be.”

“A book, perhaps?” suggested Josette. “A precious piece of jewellery? A letter?”

Barnabas’s chest heaved with a great breath he exhaled.

“My only hope is that it is of no danger to anyone, let alone Clementine.”

.....

Inside Clementine’s locked drawer was something any thief or robber would think was extremely valuable. It had a beautiful and ornately decorated tin box inside, along with a couple of letters and a book. There were several pairs of gloves as well. The thing that would have caught the eye of a robber would have been the tin box. This had a code built into it; something of Clementine’s own invention. But inside the box – if the thief could _get_ inside – was something of immense value.

Clementine picked up the box and flicked the five numbers to the correct code then flipped the lid. What lay inside were pale worn out rubies. Of course they weren’t, but any thief would think that they were. In truth, the night Angelique died, Clementine had picked up the fragments of heart that had fallen through Angelique’s fingers when she offered it to Barnabas. Clementine meant to give the box to Barnabas, but was worried when he said he knew she kept a locked drawer. Clementine had decided to fulfil Angelique’s dying wish and give Barnabas what he never took.

Every single piece of heart lay within the box. Clementine had found them all and tucked them away in a pocket so she could have her hands free to carry her sister. Clementine placed the box on her desk, took the book out and rammed her drawer back in. She didn’t dare to touch the heart fragments for fear of doing them damage, so instead she simply gazed sadly at them. Shaking herself out of her daze, she put the box aside and began to read the first page of the book. Angelique had left Clementine a story that she herself admired for the strong central character, and Clementine had heard it so many times through Angelique’s voice that she was the narrator in her head.

The day drew on, and in the evening, Clementine locked the tin box, put the book away, shut the drawer, locked that, and then put the key back on the chain and round her neck. She locked the office on the way out, made sure that there was no one left, and then shut the building up for the night. She walked down the lamp-lit street, set on going home.

.....

Barnabas was inside his heavy coffin, the dark encasing him. Josette was next to him in her own coffin, on her side, already deep in sleep. Barnabas smiled softly to himself as he settled into a more comfortable position, running the day’s events over in his mind.


	9. Nine

Elizabeth got up early in the morning. When she arrived in the dining room, Josette was already sat drinking tea. Barnabas was at the window, and Willie was making breakfast. Elizabeth smiled to herself and sat down. Willie emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea, placed it in front of Elizabeth then brought her some porridge.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Willie said, just as Elizabeth burnt her tongue on a mouthful of porridge. Barnabas glanced away from the window to Josette, who was staring directly at him. He smiled at her and turned away again.

“What are you two grinning at?” Elizabeth asked, suppressing a smile herself. The pair shook their heads. Elizabeth finished her bowl of porridge, put her crockery in the kitchen then set off to get ready.

She put on smart clothes, brushed her hair carefully, checked the back and the front and tried to appear business like. She needed to go into town anyway; today was Monday, and unlike Angelbay, Collins Canning didn’t work on Sundays. She called Willie once he’d finished washing the dishes and he got in the yellow Chevrolet on the driver’s side, whilst Elizabeth got in on the passenger’s. They drove around the fountain in the centre of the drive and exited, on their way to town.

.....

Clementine had got up much earlier than Elizabeth had. She had opened up the building, vanished up to the office and had started to tidy the room. She sorted out a variety of documents, diagrams and sketches. She cleared her desk for the first time since putting everything on it, and left only the papers, a notebook, her pen, her glass of water and the lamp. There was a knock on the door and she jumped in her seat.

“Come in,” she said stiffly. The shape of a person moved behind the glass, and the door opened. Elizabeth inclined her head slightly as a greeting, shut the door, approached the desk and sat opposite Clementine.

“It’s a... little... _cleaner_ compared to when I was last here...” Elizabeth said awkwardly, gesturing to the desk. Clementine laughed softly.

“Yes, I decided to try and make a good impression today,” she replied.

“You have the papers?”

“Yes, yes, of course, here we are,” Clementine said, pushing the documents towards the visitor. “I have a few ideas for logos, and I have drawn them sketchily there.”

Elizabeth examined the surprisingly decent drawings. One was of a fish on the end of a rod; another was the names Collins and Bouchard written one on top of the other in complimentary colours of purple and yellow, above a fish skeleton; the last was the most artistic, being two silhouettes and a rippling pond. Elizabeth’s eyes hovered over them all, coming to rest on the silhouettes.

“You drew these?” she asked.

“Of course,” Clementine said. “I know they’re nothing special...”

“They’re beautiful,” Elizabeth said, stroking the page. “I like this last one.”

Clementine nodded.

“It’s for you to decide,” she murmured, drumming her fingers on the desk.

“Who are these two people?” Elizabeth demanded, making Clementine jump.

“Well... you, of course, and myself,” she said slowly. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure it’s you?” Clementine baulked before speaking again.

“I - I guess there’s no point denying the fact that it... isn’t myself correctly,” she stammered. “But it’s me in facial proportion and hair. Otherwise, it’s made up.”

“I almost believed that it was Angelique.”

“I’d never do that, Ms Stoddard.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you, now?”

“Quite so.” Clementine got up and stood face on. Elizabeth looked from the sketch in her hand to Clementine and realised, with a jolt, that Clementine had accurately captured her own profile. She knew what she herself looked like side on, and also admired Clementine’s light hand that had drawn her perfectly. Clementine sat down and leaned forward on the desk like she had done in the board meeting the previous day.

“So which one shall it be?”

Elizabeth took a second or two to study the images.

“Is there any way we could take something from all of them?” she suggested. “I like the writing on this,” she continued, pointing to the names above the skeleton, “and the fish perhaps disappearing tail down into the pond.”

“Of course,” Clementine replied, slightly taken aback. She picked up a pencil and sketched the names, the pond, the fish and then the silhouettes.

“That looks better,” Elizabeth said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I shall be leaving to go back to the cannery...”

“Certainly, and do come again, hmm?” Clementine stood once more and bowed slightly.

“I shall most certainly come again tomorrow, if it’s no trouble,” Elizabeth called over her shoulder as she walked to the door, opened it and closed it again without looking back. Clementine seated herself and put her head on her hands; now, when she was so on top of all her work, she felt too much stress and nothing could help, let alone the soft knock that resonated through the room.

“Come in,” she said, even more stiffly than she had the first time. Barnabas entered the room and she banged her head on the desk hard. He hurried over to her, slamming the door behind him and pushing her back in her chair.

“Clementine,” he said in no more than a whisper. She couldn’t meet his eyes with her own and she kept struggling against him. He pushed her back even harder as a consequence, and shook her for good measure. “Sshhh...” he mumbled, as she burst into thick tears. He stroked her hair behind her ear and took his hands off of her shoulders.

“Oh, Barnabas,” Clementine choked, “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Show me the drawer,” he said, using her vulnerability to his advantage. She obeyed, pulling the key from her neck. She unlocked it and took out everything. She pushed the box across the table and Barnabas sat down opposite her. She brushed back the tears.

“The code is ‘55634’,” Clementine muttered. Barnabas flicked the numbers and opened the box. He gasped and covered his mouth with his hand.

“What on Earth...?” he gaped.

“It’s her heart,” Clementine whispered. “She wanted you to have it.”

“I could not take it then and I cannot now,” he growled. Clementine scowled.

“You will take it,” she said, “or I’ll make you.”

“You shall force me?”

“Yes, I shall. I shall do anything in my power to help you if you take it,” Clementine said, “but if not... I shall leave you alone, and ban you from seeking my help.”

“Fair is all I can say to that,” Barnabas frowned.

“Indeed. How would you intend to live your life without my help?”

“We shall restore our honour before you can gain yours.”

“Silly Barnabas, my honour and place arrived a hundred and ninety years ago.”

“Is that so? And you think I am fit to believe it?”

“Simply put, yes, otherwise, you are fit in every way but one,” Clementine said, her face glittering with the tear tracks. “One moment, please.”

She disappeared out of the door and came back five minutes later, her face clean. Barnabas stood up on her entry, and once she had sat, he followed suit.

“Why did you come to see me today, Barnabas?” she hissed. He ignored the tone of her voice.

“About your locked drawer, and that was all,” said Barnabas. Clementine sniffed impatiently.

“Nothing else and you’re sure?”

“Certain.”

“Good. Now go on, out of my sight,” Clementine ordered. “And take the box with you!” she added as Barnabas tried to leave it. Barnabas gave her an annoyed look.

“Curious, what you choose to do and what you choose not to is it not?”

Clementine acted as if Barnabas hadn’t spoken and said,

“Imagine how I feel.”

“There are times for imagining, and times for living in the real world, Clementine.”

“What if now was the time to imagine?” she demanded, getting up and walking right up to the vampire.

“The time to imagine what, precisely?”

“Use your imagination,” Clementine returned slyly.

“Do not be clever with me, my dear,” he said, mocking her.

“To that I shall decide,” said she, tilting her head back.

“We shall see,” Barnabas said conclusively, marching out, leaving Clementine to stare after him.

.....

The next few weeks were hectic at Angelbay and Collins Canning; a lot of customers complained about the business partnership; Clementine was attending meeting after meeting; Elizabeth couldn’t find an artist to recreate Clementine’s sketch as a logo before realising Clementine drew it the best it could be; Clementine visited Collinwood a lot and seemed to have an awkward knack of walking in on Barnabas and Josette; worst of all, Clementine’s stress built up and up, causing her to storm out of Collinwood having started (another) small fire due to her temper’s lid falling off.

Clementine couldn’t write an apologetic letter. She was curled up under her desk at Angelbay surrounded by screwed up balls of paper, her pen beside her, her head on her knees. Marie was at her side, trying to comfort her.

“It’s no good – I can’t do it,” Clementine’s muffled voice said.

“I can do it for you, if you’d like,” Marie murmured softly, rubbing Clementine’s back.

“Please do,” Clementine said. “It would make my life easier.”

She unfurled herself, got up, kicked all the paper towards the recycling bin and placed her pen on her desk,

“Thank you, Marie,” she said as Marie left. Half an hour of gazing out of the window passed. Clementine liked watching the people move freely around; it gave her an odd sense of security. Marie came back.

“Here,” she said, passing her a drafted letter. “All you need to do now is write that out for yourself.”

Clementine muttered her thanks and set to work immediately, Marie leaving her with the radio turned on for company.

.....

At Collinwood, Elizabeth was pacing as Barnabas stood frowning at the distant town out of the drawing room window. Elizabeth’s brow was furrowed and her arms were crossed firmly.

“I really have no idea how she deals with herself,” Elizabeth said, referencing Clementine.

“With immense difficulty, or so I believe,” said Barnabas. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

“I don’t like how you seem to know _everything_ ,” she said. Barnabas thought for a moment.

“I do happen to know Clementine better than you do,” he said. Elizabeth stopped her pacing.

“And that matters... how?”

“I can tell what emotions have come over her.”

“Oh, so you’re prophetic now?”

“No, I simply know her decently and well enough to tell what she feels.”

Elizabeth sighed and put a hand on her head. Barnabas folded his arms and looked up at the ceiling.

“I pray to the Lord our God that she shall be alright...”


	10. Ten

Barnabas and Josette decided to take a long walk down to the town and back on Wednesday. Elizabeth and Willie passed them in the car and gave them a cheery wave. It was half an hour later when they finally got to the town; it was busy and bustling, quite the usual.

“Where shall we go, Josette?” Barnabas asked. Josette looked around.

“The pier might be the quietest place...”

“Then let us take a stroll around the bay.”

They set off once more, hands clasped, keeping in step with one another. They meandered along the waterside, gazing down into the depths of the sea. They walked the length of the pier and stood silently for a while. Barnabas, after a moment or so, gently guided Josette by her shoulder back up and into the town.

“I think I may know a quiet place,” Barnabas murmured. Josette nodded.

The pair walked back the way they had come, up the main road out of Collinsport and they vanished amongst the trees.

“I shouldn’t think it’s entirely proper,” Josette said. Barnabas smiled.

“We are, on the whole, alone, my love,” Barnabas replied, placing a hand on Josette’s face, the other at her waist. Josette moved closer.

“I wish things could be as they were...” she whispered. Barnabas looked slightly sad.

“As do I,” he whispered back. Once again, they were locked in an unbreakable embrace.

.....

Clementine was in the very same area of trees, collecting leaves and broken twigs and sticks. She was in a pleasant mood; there was a faint smile on her face, her step was light, she was wearing one of her orange dresses and she was humming a sweet song. She had a basket in one hand and her other hand was just floating in the air.

Barnabas was leaning against the tree behind him and Josette was pressed up against him. The tree was relatively thin, or at least thin enough to see that there was a person there. Clementine saw Barnabas as she came closer, and as the two shifted, she saw what was happening. She dropped her basket and sunk to the ground with a thud. Her eyes were welling with tears threatening to spill, and she covered her mouth and nose with her hands. Shock. That was the only thing she felt. Her whole body was in spasms, spasms of fear, sadness, and shock. She took her hands away and stared at the dirt. She closed her eyes, giving in to the tears and allowing emotion to seep out.

By this time, Barnabas and Josette had realised that she was there. Josette stood uselessly as Barnabas ran to Clementine. He tried to help her up, but she pushed him off.

“GO AWAY!” she shrieked, shoving him roughly. He stared at her; the tears were seeping down her cheeks, her lips pressed together, her basket on its side with its contents on the ground. She glared at him, put everything back into her basket and backed away, pointing a finger shakily at him. “You betray your emotions!”

Barnabas raised his eyebrows a little.

“And you permit yours to freely wander off. You allow yourself to let them go-“

“At the slightest trigger,” Josette interrupted, finishing the sentence.

Clementine looked in despair between the two.

“You don’t understand humanity,” Clementine said in a low voice. She shook her head.

The last the vampires saw of Clementine that day was her running back to town. The story amused Elizabeth.

“She was right – you were having trouble ignoring your emotions – you betrayed them.”

“I thought she meant I showed them.”

“No, she meant literal betrayal,” Elizabeth commented. Barnabas breathed deeply.

“I ought to apologise. What do you think?”

“She apologised for the fire. You should apologise for this along with your condolences.”

“Condolences?”

“After all, it is your fault for being so irresistible that the death of Angelique occurred.”

“My fault for being me, you mean?”

“Precisely.”

“I did not kill Angelique.”

“You assisted in her death. Just say you’re sorry; you may be surprised at what little effort it takes.”

And so Barnabas composed a letter and delivered it himself. Clementine was caught by surprise when she read it, and she shoved it away in a drawer to be forgotten. Therefore, she thought no more of the event and lived as normal.

.....

Thursday came around and the new business was doing well. The logo had been drawn out properly and Elizabeth had set up new premises to be shared by both Collins Canning and Angelbay. Clementine had the place done up and set up an office. She then had the sign bearing the logo put up on the front.

“Done,” Clementine said, standing back with Elizabeth. “What do you think?” she added, dusting her hands off. Elizabeth smiled.

“It looks brilliant. I think it should do well, or at least fairly well,” Elizabeth said, going on to say “the business, I mean,” at Clementine’s confused look.

“Oh! Yes, I hope so,” said Clementine, one thumb rubbing the other. Elizabeth took a sidelong glance at her, but appeared to have not. “Collins Canning and Angelbay proudly presents: Fisherman’s Pride...”

“Where did you come up with the name?”

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t thinking when it slipped into my mind...” Clementine drifted off into a slight haze.

“Well, I shall be going back. Are you going to see with the organisation of the interior?” asked Elizabeth. Clementine nodded sharply and went on inside the building.

The whole place had been fitted with wooden floors. The walls were painted white, and the ceiling was a pale cream. There were still painters touching up the walls. Clementine breathed in the smell of paint, let it out, and strolled on. What was to be the office at the back on the first floor was spacious and had plenty of room for two desks. One was already in, sitting on the wooden floor. That was to be Elizabeth’s. A filing cabinet that was to be her own was sat in the far corner, and another that matched it was beside Elizabeth’s desk. On closer inspection, the desk was already full of files. Almost as if Elizabeth had known Clementine would come wandering in, a note had been left on the surface.

Clementine,

I thought you might want to purchase a new desk. There’s a shop down the street that has good deals at the moment. I was thinking you would like some of the ones they’re selling at the moment.

Elizabeth

Clementine pondered this.

“Hmm... I wonder...” she mumbled to herself, feeling a smile spread across her face. She put the note in her pocket and moved the waste-paper basket into the centre of the room with a note of her own that read:

Elizabeth,

Thanks for the note. As you can see, there is now a desk sat opposite yours. Proof your suggestion helped!

Clementine

“I know I haven’t bought one yet, but I’ll do that now,” Clementine smirked, leaving the room and then exiting the building to go and buy a new desk.

Barnabas wasn’t with Josette for once. Instead, he was with Elizabeth at the Collins’ cannery. He sat opposite Elizabeth in the guests’ chair. Elizabeth was busy scribbling down numbers and doing quick calculations, occasionally using her fingers to count off a few things, but usually tapping her pencil a few times. Barnabas watched, not really thinking, lost deep in thought.

“Haven’t you got better things to be doing apart from watching me do math?” Elizabeth asked. Barnabas sighed.

“I should be elsewhere,” Barnabas murmured. “If I may, why are you making calculations?”

“Someone’s got to add up the amount of sold fish,” said Elizabeth a little bitterly. “Why do you ask?”

“Curiosity gets the better of me on the rare occasion.”

Barnabas stood and left without another word. He left the building and bumped into Clementine.

“I do beg your pardon,” Barnabas said without realising who he had just collided with. Clementine hurried on, keen to get past him. “Odd,” he said to himself, “she’s in a rush...”

Clementine quickly made her way to the shop Elizabeth had referenced in her note. She looked up at the sign. It read: THE FURNITURE SHOP. Clementine raised her eyebrows a little, shook her head and went on in.

The shop was untidy with furniture scattered everywhere. Despite the state it was in, the shop held some really good quality furniture. The desks were sturdy and the chairs weren’t rickety. A plain brown desk that was nicely polished caught Clementine’s eye.

“That there’s a mighty fine choice, young lady,” the guy behind the till said. “The best we have in stock, actually.”

He slipped out from the till and sidled up to Clementine. There was a strong smell of alcohol lingering about him.

“Just like you,” he said softly, reaching out to stoke her cheek. Clementine slapped him across the face, causing him to stumble back a few steps. “Okay, okay, I was just being nice... can’t take a compliment...”

“No, I can’t, not from slimy strangers who like to flirt with any girl they meet,” Clementine snapped, scowling at him. She threw some dollar notes onto the till desk. “Don’t bother with a receipt,” she added, lifting the desk above her head, walking slowly to the door and kicking it open. “Take something from today. Do me a favour and stop being an idiotic slut!”

Clementine left the man standing staring after her. She liked frightening weak men sometimes, and if Barnabas had been weak, she would’ve ruled over him easily, but then, she would’ve been dead a long time ago; for if Barnabas had been weak, Angelique would’ve still had him.

A lot of people turned to look at the mad woman who was carrying a desk up the street. Clementine ignored them all and marched on, vanishing into the new cannery building. The painters looked up at her momentarily as she passed. Clementine kicked the office door open and placed the desk opposite Elizabeth’s. She sat down on the desk and put her chin in her hands. She thought about Angelique for a while. Sometimes all she needed to do was think about her sister, and then she would calm down. Yelling at people required some calming down afterwards.


	11. Eleven

Barnabas was just setting off on the long walk back to Collinwood when Clementine had bumped into him. He had then continued on his way back. He was halfway there when a red roofless car pulled up next to him. He stopped and turned.

“Need a lift?” Clementine asked.

“The red clashes awfully with your hair,” Barnabas said.

“Nice of you to notice,” Clementine replied dryly. “Get in.”

Barnabas reluctantly opened the passenger door and sat next to Clementine, who gave him a small smile.

“Why were you coming this way?”

“I didn’t plan on going this way originally, but I accidentally drove in this direction,” said Clementine. “Now when I think about it, I have business out of town.”

“Would you let me accompany you?”

“Perhaps I shall,” Clementine said, chewing her lip. “I’ll stop outside Collinwood and then you can decide whether to come or not. Although I would imagine you wouldn’t have asked if you hadn’t wanted to come.”

Barnabas nodded slightly. Clementine put the car in the correct gear and drove off. It was a minute later that Clementine stopped the car again, right outside Collinwood.

“Now, are you staying or are you leaving?” she asked, folding her arms.

“I think I shall stay. Whatever business you have, Clementine, I feel the curiosity creeping up on me.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Clementine pulled up the handbrake and pushed the accelerator. The wind blew around the pair of weirdos in the car.

“Are you sure about this?” Clementine said loudly over the wind.

“You might have picked a car with a roof,” Barnabas grumbled.

“Well, sorry, but I have a business or two to fund, and I’m afraid if this car doesn’t completely satisfy you and you insist on complaining, I’m tossing you out,” Clementine said, glaring ahead. Barnabas looked at her, momentarily startled.

“You would not do such a thing,” Barnabas said, “I can tell.”

“I might if you whinge,” Clementine muttered. Barnabas nodded.

Elizabeth had since finished her counting and had walked to the new building. She went in and made her way up the stairs to the office. She expected Clementine to be there, but of course she wasn’t. She did find the note, though, and smiled slightly. She had never admitted it, but Elizabeth admired Clementine’s eccentric style; and now that she owned a company and a half, she could put it to good use. Elizabeth put the note in a drawer in her desk and then left.

Barnabas and Clementine didn’t speak for the rest of their long journey. Clementine was busy focusing on the road, and Barnabas tried to figure out where they were heading. It wasn’t until they stopped for a while that they spoke.

“Do you have any idea what you are doing?” Barnabas asked as Clementine took a drink from a bottle she brought with her.

“I know perfectly well what I’m doing,” she answered, shaking her arms and bending her legs. She got back into the car and Barnabas followed suit. She started the engine and then gave Barnabas the bottle. “Take what you want,” she said, “we’re almost there.”

Barnabas accepted the bottle and unscrewed the lid. He poured a little into his mouth cautiously and swallowed. It was plain water. Sensing nothing wrong, he drunk until satisfied, then set the bottle at his feet.

The rest of the journey didn’t take too long. Within the hour, they had arrived outside a big manor house on the outskirts of Maine. Clementine drove straight up the drive, and stopped the car right outside. Clementine didn’t do anything, but Barnabas saw her knuckles go white clutching the steering wheel.

“This was a stupid idea, was it not?” he said softly. Clementine nodded.

“I’m sorry, Barnabas, you shouldn’t have come,” she said, letting go of the wheel and undoing her seat belt. She got out and walked up to the front door. She knocked three times with a massive knocker that was painted green.

“I thought it would be empty,” Barnabas said in a low voice as he came up behind Clementine. She turned, smiled and shook her head.

The door opened. A young woman was stood staring at the two. She looked at Clementine and smiled slightly.

“They said you was immortal now,” she whispered.

“Who did?” Clementine asked curiously.

“The older ones. The rumour has been passed down through the ages. They said you was immortal, see.”

“Ah, yes, about that,” Clementine said, looking at her feet.

“We’ll give you a couple of rooms,” the woman said eagerly, “that is, if you’re staying.”

“Yes, we’ll stay, but don’t trouble yourself with preparing the rooms. I’ll do that.”

“Are you sure? I’d have thought you wouldn’t want to, but if you really want to...” the woman said, trailing off. Clementine nodded sharply.

“What’s your name?” Clementine asked.

“The name’s Tina,” the woman said. “What may we call you?”

“Clementine and this here is Barnabas,” Clementine said.

“Of course,” said Tina. She let them in and closed the door.

Once inside, Clementine spun around in a circle, her arms outstretched and her eyes closed. She laughed and took Barnabas’s hand. Barnabas took in his surroundings. He was in a brightly lit manor with white walls and massive windows.

“Come, I’ll show you to the best room,” she said happily, guiding him gently up the grand stairs opposite the front door.

Barnabas sensed the change in Clementine; she was happier, lighter, and more open. He let himself be led up and into the main master bedroom at the top of the stairs. Clementine opened the door and let go of his hand. The bed was in the middle of the back wall. The window was to its left. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out bed sheets.

Barnabas sat down on the window seat as Clementine made the bed. She plumped up the pillows and then went to put towels into the ensuite bathroom. She stood at Barnabas’s shoulder, her face looking younger with all of the positive feelings she had.

“I thought this place would be darker,” he said. Clementine nodded.

“That’s how I remember it, but it’s obviously been fixed up.”

“Why are you so happy to be here?” he asked.

“Fond memories... my mother... my brother...”

“You never told me that you had a brother,” Barnabas frowned.

“He died when I was five. Some strange illness, I believe...” Clementine closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Barnabas. “Sorry, it’s just... I didn’t expect this.”

Barnabas patted her arm awkwardly.

“I thought it would be in a more desperate state,” Clementine sighed and released her grip. “I’m sorry.”

She was obviously a little embarrassed. Barnabas gave her a reassuring smile and she opened the door in between two master bedrooms.

“I’ll just be through here if you need me,” Clementine said quietly. There was a footstep or two and then the sound of a closing door. Barnabas looked around and noticed for the first time that there was a communicating door.

Clementine made up her own bed and put out towels in the bathroom. She then came back through and lay down on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling. She wasn’t sure how long she spent there. Sometime after, Tina’s voice called up the stairs. Clementine got up and opened the door between her room and Barnabas’s.

“Food,” she said. “Try to act normal. The food should be fairly edible to you; it’s the usual sort of thing you might find in a big house.”

Barnabas sighed but got up anyway. He followed Clementine down the stairs and into a dining hall.

“You are the guests of honour, so you can sit at the ends,” Tina said, beaming at them. Clementine shook her head.

“I’d rather we sat together,” said Clementine. Barnabas nodded in agreement. Tina shrugged.

Barnabas sat at the head of the table and Clementine sat to his right. Tina was opposite Clementine, and everyone else filled the rest of the table. Before food was served, Barnabas stood.

“I should like to say we are most grateful for your hospitality,” he said grandly. “We shall do anything in return.”

“Hear, hear!” Clementine said, raising her glass. “I’ll drink to that!”

Everyone at the table raised their glasses and drank. After that, a few people, Clementine included, stood and served. Once they were all comfortably seated, the meal and conversation began.

“The last Lord and Lady never had any children, so they didn’t have an heir to inherit everything. We have discussed the matter, and we all agree it should go to you,” Tina said.

“If that is the case, then I suggest that Ferr Manor belongs to everyone who should inhabit it,” Clementine said loudly. “Everyone is equal, and if someone wants to do something, they have the right to do it!”

“Yes!” someone cried out.

“Let’s have it, then!” shouted another voice. The hall was filled with voices of positive thoughts and Clementine smiled, satisfied.

“Is that another problem solved?” she asked happily. Tina nodded weakly.

Once dinner was finished, Clementine led Barnabas to a random room in the house. She lit the fire with her hand and then sat beside the vampire.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“I am not yet sure,” he replied. Clementine smiled, staring into the fire.

“I feel at home,” she whispered, barely audible.

“What is this room?”

“This room is one of many sitting rooms. It’s for lounging around in.”

Clementine was sat in a big armchair. Barnabas sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re here, Barnabas,” she said sleepily. “I want you to think of this as a way for us to start over, try at friends. It might be hard, but I think we need to...”

“Yes, certainly, we can try at being friends,” Barnabas replied.

Clementine fell asleep then. Barnabas picked her up and carried her out. He somehow managed to find his way back through the rooms so he could tread carefully upstairs and put her to bed. Tina was in Clementine’s room, starting the fire to heat the room. She smiled at Clementine in Barnabas’s arms.

“Pardon me for asking,” Tina whispered, “but are you two involved in any way?”

“Dear me, no, we’re business partners. She allowed me to accompany her here. We are going to attempt friendship,” he said in a low voice. Tina nodded. “It shall never go further than friendship.”

“Or so you hope,” Tina thought. “You might find something within yourself you don’t want...”

Tina kept these thoughts to herself and went to make up Barnabas’s fire, but he insisted she go and settle herself. She accepted and left.

Barnabas removed his jacket and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. He then pulled back the bed covers and tried to get comfortable. He looked around one last time, and then blew out the candle Tina had put by his bed.


	12. Twelve

Everyone at Collinwood the next day was puzzled as to where Barnabas was. At least, everyone except Mrs Johnson, who had seen Barnabas leave through an upstairs window (somehow or other she had managed to see). Josette was worried, and Elizabeth was mildly concerned, but she had bigger worries. Josette had been up since 6 am, staring out across the woodland, wondering when she would see Barnabas’s face again.

Barnabas was thinking of Josette. He sat at the window in the morning. There was a knock at the door that separated him and Clementine.

“Come in,” he said croakily, before swallowing, coughing and saying again, “come in!”

Clementine came in timidly. She twisted her mouth sideways.

“Good morning, Mr Collins,” she said quietly. Barnabas turned to face her. She pointed to the fire. “You want that on again?”

He shook his head ever so slightly. Clementine shrugged.

“I’m going to go down and help with breakfast,” she said louder. She left. Barnabas decided to go and find some paintings to admire.

Clementine was experiencing déjà vu down in the kitchens. She made up some porridge the way she remembered and set it on the table in the dining room. Then she helped do some toast and set out spreads as well.

The dinner bell was in a cupboard off to the right. It had a thick layer of dust on it. Clementine took it out and brushed the dust off of it. Tina watched her with scepticism.

“That bell hasn’t been rung for many a year,” Tina said. “We never need to use it. The clocks tell us when a meal is.”

“Barnabas has never dined in this house for more than one day. He won’t know when to eat,” Clementine said back. “I used to ring this bell when I was younger. I loved it.”

Her satin black fingers stroked the handle. She took it firmly in her right hand, made sure all the places were properly set, checked all the food was out then let the mass of the bell pull her hand down. She brought it back up and let it fall again, repeating the movement. The sweet sound of the bell echoed through the manor, and the house awoke from the hazy slumber it had been in when Lord and Lady Ferr had been murdered.

Barnabas had been examining a painting of the last lord and lady of the house. He jerked his head when the bell rang out. He took one last glance at the painting then followed the sound into the dining hall. Clementine only stopped when everyone was sat at the table. She then closed her and held the bell to her face. She placed it back in the cupboard carefully and took her place beside Barnabas at the table.

“Shall we begin?” an old woman asked.

“What is your name, my friend?” said Clementine.

“Anne,” the woman replied.

“Anne,” Clementine repeated. “Have you lead before?”

“I am descended of the best leads,” Anne said warmly, bowing her head slightly.

Clementine had seen the start of meals from the shadows of a doorway with her mother at her shoulder. A chosen person at the table would make a statement that most people should agree with. If you didn’t agree, you banged your glass on the table until the person said something you agreed with. Once there was a saying everyone liked, the meal was begun. Some people had a knack for saying things everyone liked first go. Clementine wasn’t one of these people.

“A person’s freedom is worth dying for,” Anne said loudly, banging her glass once. Six or seven people banged their glasses repetitively. Anne held up her hand and the noise ceased. “Destinies are always in front of us.”

Three people drank once from their glass; they couldn’t complain again. Two more people joined the noise this time. Anne held up her hand.

“Peace is a thing of great beauty, but it is difficult to keep.”

Five people drank. Four more replaced them in noise. Anne’s hand went up.

“Everlasting fear; there is nothing to stop it,” Anne challenged. Silence answered her. Everyone drank except Barnabas, who didn’t know what was happening.

There was a round of applause for Anne and then breakfast started. Barnabas looked confused. Clementine explained the start of meals, and he understood.

“Ah, yes, a sort of game?” he said.

“You might say that,” Anne called up, “but it’s the truth. The statement can’t be false.”

Clementine couldn’t speak due to the fact that her mouth was full of water. She swallowed.

“Anne’s right,” she said, before shovelling a spoonful of porridge into her mouth. “You may on’y shpeak the trufe,” she added, her mouth full. Anne frowned at her a little. “Shorry.”

.....

Elizabeth was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. David sat beside Roger’s empty seat. Josette was to Elizabeth’s right. Willie opened the curtains wide. Josette was staring at Barnabas’s empty seat. Carolyn came in and slouched in her chair.

“Sit up, Carolyn,” Elizabeth said. Carolyn rolled her eyes, but did as her mother asked. She slouched over the other way, bending over her food. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “ _Properly_ , please, Carolyn!”

Carolyn groaned and pulled her chair in so she leant straight against the back. Elizabeth approved. David chuckled quietly. He ate his breakfast quickly and then set off. Josette went with him. Carolyn picked at her toast.

“What’s the matter?” Elizabeth asked impatiently.

“I’m not saying I ever liked him much,” Carolyn muttered, “but it feels weird without Barnabas.”

“It does. Now, are you staying here, or coming with me to work?”

“I’ll stay thanks.”

Elizabeth sighed impatiently and left Carolyn to her own devices.

.....

The meal at Ferr Manor had ended and everyone, Barnabas included, helped clean up.

“I have only just noticed all of the walls in this house are either white or wood panelled,” Barnabas remarked. Clementine laughed softly.

“They used to be darker,” Clementine beamed. She gave Barnabas a stack of washed dishes to put away. She scrubbed at a pan. “I remember it as a gloomy place, but it’s brighter now.”

“Thou cannot have liked it much,” Barnabas said thoughtfully, picking up a dishtowel and drying the wet pan Clementine passed him.

“I didn’t. It was more of a prison than a home, but now I feel as if I am truly home...”

“You should stay here,” Tina said loudly as she walked past with a bunch of knives, forks and spoons.

“Yes, Clementine, this is where you belong,” Barnabas agreed.

“You wouldn’t mind?” Clementine asked. Barnabas shook his head.

“As long as you would allow me to visit you any time I felt the urge,” he replied.

“But... I feel as if I would be betraying Angelique,” Clementine said quietly. “I could never do that to her. Could you do that to someone, Barnabas?”

“No, I suppose I could not,” he said thoughtfully.

“Anyway, there are the canneries, and I couldn’t leave Elizabeth to do all of the work...”

“You could make regular visits,” Tina suggested, going back the other way. Clementine nodded sharply.

“Yes, I think that’s what I’ll do.”

Clementine wrung her washing cloth and sponge out. She unplugged the sink and then rinsed it. She gave the last of the clean dishes to Barnabas, who held them out to Tina who hurriedly came back for them before leaving. Clementine left the cloth and sponge on the draining board and then set off after Tina.

“Tina! Can you help me clean out the fireplaces?” Clementine asked.

“Of course,” Tina beamed. She set the dishes in a cupboard and followed Clementine upstairs.

“You start at the far end,” Clementine said, pointing off to the left. “I’ll go from the right.”

Tina nodded and went into Barnabas’s room. Clementine made sure she wasn’t going anywhere, and then she herself went up the other end. The first bedroom was a guest bedroom. It was very dusty. Clementine lifted up her foot; there was a footprint where she had stood.

“Goodness,” Clementine muttered, “nobody’s been in here for some time...”

She cleaned the fire first, which was filthy, and lit it. She then ran and got a mop and bucket. The floor didn’t take too long to clean, and soon all was bright again. Clementine carefully moved across the room, shook the bed, opened the curtains and left.

“How was that room?” Tina asked.

“It hasn’t seen itself clean for a long time,” Clementine grumbled, heading into the next room.

“Would like me to help?” Tina said. Clementine shook her head.

“I’ll be fine,” she sighed.

Clementine opened the curtains, shook the bed, cleaned the fireplace and then mopped the floor.

Tina walked in just as she finished.

“Hey, Tina, where do you all sleep?” Clementine asked.

“In the servants’ quarters,” Tina replied, looking a little confused. “Why?”

“You should use the rooms. They’ll just take up dust otherwise.”

“Oh... OK. We’ll see. I’ll ask at lunch.”

Tina beamed at Clementine, and her expression turned slightly surprised when Clementine went over and hugged her. Tina hugged her back. Clementine pulled away, holding Tina’s arms.

“I feel like I’m home,” Clementine sighed. “I’m home for the first time in... well, a lifetime.”

Tina laughed softly, and then took the things to the next room. They cleaned all of the rooms in the house by lunch.

“See? Plenty of room for everyone!” Clementine laughed. Tina smiled.

“I suppose there is,” Tina admitted. The dinner bell rang out, and the pair looked at each other, grinned and ran as fast as they could to the dining room.

Barnabas was ringing the bell. He looked as he was enjoying himself. Clementine stopped him, and then took her seat. Once everyone was seated, Anne spoke.

“We shall now cast a vote for the next lead. I suggest Barnabas,” Anne said calmly. Everyone nodded.

“What do I do?” Barnabas asked.

“You must say something true that everyone agrees with. If they all drink, we may eat,” Clementine said.

“Alright... everyone has the right to fight for what they think is right,” Barnabas said, looking around. A lot of people drank, including Anne and Clementine. “Hmm... ” he thought deeply before speaking again. “There are many kinds of love.”

Everyone drank, even those who had already had their say. Clementine looked at Barnabas, and he looked back. They looked away only when Anne spoke.

“You’re very good, Barnabas,” she said, sounding very impressed. “You shall choose who leads tonight.”

Barnabas nodded, and grinned secretly to himself, and yet Clementine managed to spot it. When everyone else was busy eating and talking, Clementine spoke to him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that before,” she said quietly. He looked innocent.

“I have no idea what you are implying,” he said. Clementine shook her head, trying to keep a straight face.

.....

Carolyn was sat in her room, looking out at the town in the distance. A drop of rain fell onto the window. It was followed by another, and then another, and so on, so on, until there was a gentle rhythmic patter. Carolyn watched the rain, feeling bored. There was no point in doing anything when she was perfectly alright doing nothing. She sighed. There was a tap on the door, and David’s face appeared.

“Can’t you read?” Carolyn grumbled.

“I can read fine, thank you,” David said timidly.

“The sign on the door says GO AWAY!” Carolyn exclaimed. David bit his lip.

“I just wanted to know if you’d seen Josette,” he said quickly.

“How could I have? I’ve been up here all day,” Carolyn said impatiently.

“I’m sorry,” David said, backing out.

“Close the door!”

.....

Josette was still on the balcony facing the great mass of trees. She was humming a little tune to herself. It was quite annoying, but she couldn’t get it out of her head, so she went on humming it. David found her after a while.

“Josette?” his voice mumbled. Josette wheeled around.

“Oh, David, you startled me!” her voice sounded strained.

“Are you OK?”

“I suppose I just... miss Barnabas...”

“Yeah, me too. Carolyn does as well, even though she won’t admit it...” he trailed off and went to stand beside her.

“I hope he’s OK...” Josette gazed into the distance.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” David said. Mrs Johnson happened to be passing and heard them.

“I saw him head of with that red-headed girl with the gloves and the fancy car,” she said in her low voice. David and Josette jumped and looked at her.

“You what?” David said.

“I saw your friend get into that flash car that belongs to the girl with the gloves,” she said, louder this time. She studied their surprised faces. “Never mind, then...”

“You mean, Clementine?” Josette asked. Mrs Johnson nodded. “Where did they go?”

“Out of town,” she answered.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, yes, the car went up the road, not down towards the town,” she said. She went after that. David and Josette exchanged looks.

“Is she always like that?” Josette said faintly.

“Yeah, she’s a bit strange, and Willie doesn’t like her much, thinks she isn’t of any use, but apparently... she is...” David drifted off into the air. “Huh.”

.....

After lunch had been cleared up and dinner decided upon (it was to be roast beef and plenty of vegetables), Clementine took Barnabas to the room they had been in the previous night. It was a sitting room; the armchair Clementine had sat it was near the fire. A comfy sofa was in the middle of the room facing the fire. There wasn’t much else.

“Well,” Clementine remarked, “you could certainly get a few people in this room.”

“What on Earth for?” Barnabas returned, surprised.

“Sleeping, of course!” Clementine laughed. She looked so happy Barnabas couldn’t help but smile back. “Everyone will live in the main house instead of the servants’ quarters.”

Barnabas jerked his head around as he heard a floorboard creak. Clementine spun faster than anything ever seen before.

“Who’s there?” she called cautiously.

“Just me!” Tina said cheerfully, stepping into view with an arm of bed sheets.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Barnabas demanded.

“Barnabas!”

“I was passing, realised you were having a conversation, didn’t want to interrupt, and so I turned to leave and the board creaked,” Tina said. Somehow, Clementine didn’t think she was being entirely honest.

“Tina,” Clementine said, “the truth?”

“That is the truth,” Tina said, bowing her head. Clementine let her go.

“Barnabas, I don’t see why she would-” Clementine began after she was gone.

Barnabas pushed in, “Neither do I.”

He went over to the French windows and opened them onto the little terrace. He stood at the edge and looked down.

“I wish I could die,” he said thoughtfully. Clementine appeared at his side and gently massaged his shoulders.

“We all do, from time to time,” she said, her voice full of concern. “I know that I would love to die. Right now. You could kill me, you know. It might help some of the pain.”

She took her hands away, gripped his shoulders from the front and turned him to face her.

“You’ll do that for me sometime, right?”

“Yes, yes, if you wish it,” he said sadly. He was avoiding her face.

“Barnabas.” Her voice was serious. “Promise me. Please.”

“Alright,” murmured Barnabas.

“That’s not good enough! Promise me!”

He looked her in the eyes. He noticed how anxious she seemed. “Calm down. I promise that I will kill you at some point.”

“That’s better.” Clementine’s face relaxed. She released him shoulders and left him to wander at will. “I’m going to go and help Tina with extra beds.”

The last thing she knew, darkness had swallowed everything.

.....

Elizabeth groaned. It wasn’t the best day to be sat at a desk with a large sum of money to deal with and workers to check on. She had a severe headache, she was hungry and she couldn’t leave until she had done everything she had planned to. She picked up the phone, dialled the desk at Angelbay, and waited.

“Clementine can’t have disappeared too,” she muttered to herself. She tapped her fingers on the desk, realised it was annoying and stopped.

“Yes?” Casey’s bored voice came.

“It’s Elizabeth Stoddard. I wondered, is Clementine in? Have you seen her lately?” Elizabeth asked. She bit her lip.

“No, Clementine went out of town on business yesterday. She won’t be back at least until Sunday.”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“No. She just said Marie was to look after the company while she was away.”

“Is that all she said?”

“Well, she did say it was personal, and that nobody was to know where she was going.”

“Damn it,” Elizabeth said, smacking the desk, putting the phone down and then massaging her hand. At that moment, the phone rang. Elizabeth picked it up again. “Yes?”

“Elizabeth, it’s me, Josette,” Josette said.

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked tiredly.

“We know where Barnabas has gone. Mrs Johnson saw him get in a car with Clementine. They headed out of town.”

“Good! Thank you. Now we just need to find out where Clementine went. Apparently it’s a personal trip.”

“So... we just need to go to Angelbay?”

“Precisely.” Elizabeth thought for a second. “Can you come down into town?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right there.”

There was the click of Josette putting the receiver down, and then Elizabeth did the same.

“Where have you gone, Clementine...?” she whispered. She got up, and decided to go and see the workers.

.....

Carolyn was still watching the rain when it came to about lunchtime. She got up, opened her door, went down her few stairs, walked through the hall, across the landing, and down the main stairs. She dragged herself into the dining room and flopped into her chair. David and Josette were engaged in conversation while eating merrily. Willie came in, laid Carolyn’s place, served her some food, and dashed off. Carolyn peered at her plate in the most ungrateful manner. There was a sandwich with ham and cheese filling, some lettuce, leftover carrot, and some grapes.

“Is this it?” she said, with an appalled expression. Willie came back in, glared at her, and went out again. Josette and David stared at her.

“Did you expect a hog roast?” Josette asked politely. Carolyn rubbed her head with one hand. “You don’t have to answer, that was a rhetorical question.”

“I know,” moaned Carolyn. “I know... just... leave me alone...”

.....

A little while after lunch, Mrs Johnson was looking out of an upstairs window. She had a theory that Barnabas and Clementine were seeing each other.

“No, no, listen. It makes perfect sense – Clementine pulling up with him, having offered him a lift home... and he wanted to be with her longer! So they went off! Hang on... I’m sure Josette is too loved for that... but wait! He faked his love for her! It’s all one grand master plan...”

Mrs Johnson was so busy that she didn’t notice David watching her. A sharp intake of breath made her turn fast.

“Now, Master David...” she said carefully. David was already off. He went through the house yelling his head off.

“JOSETTE! WHERE ARE YOU? JOSETTE, IT’S IMPORTANT!” David bellowed. Josette came rushing out into the hall.

“What is it?” Josette said worriedly.

“Mrs Johnson thinks that Barnabas loves Clementine!” David burst. He looked very pale. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to Clementine – she’d always been so kind to him. Josette’s jaw dropped, revealing her teeth. David winced slightly. Josette’s face went snow-white. She shivered.

“No,” she whispered. “He would’ve told me. He’s too honest.”

“But affairs are supposed to be secret, I thought,” David said, confused.

“Yes, but Barnabas can’t hide from me.”


	13. Thirteen

Clementine woke up in bed. She heard muttering. She rubbed her eyes. She began to sit up, but was pushed back down with soft hands.

“Careful now, you took a real fall there,” Tina’s voice said. Clementine opened her eyes. She saw the ceiling. Tina gently propped her back up with pillows. “There we are.”

Barnabas was at the end of the bed, Tina was beside her. Old Anne stood serenely by the door. There were a few others that Clementine recognised by face, but not by name. She sighed.

“What happened?” she asked, massaging her head.

“I saw you fall,” Barnabas said quietly. The room was eerily silent. He continued. “You were going to help Tina. You were smiling. You touched the door frame. The glove on your right hand...”

Barnabas trailed off. Clementine looked at him in disbelief.

“Impossible,” she whispered. She pulled her hand out from under the duvet. A thick black bandage covered her arm. “But...”

“You touched the door frame and your right arm burst into flames. First, your fingers, and then it spread like wildfire.”

“That’s because it is,” Clementine pointed out. Barnabas shrugged and nodded.

“Your glove didn’t prevent this. It fell off. It remained fine, though,” Barnabas said. He was trying to keep calm. Clementine looked petrified.

“I can’t stay here,” she burst out. The dawning realisation hit her. “I can’t stay here.”

“Yes you can, we just need to be careful,” Tina said, her tone pleading. “Please say this isn’t my fault.”

“It’s not, rest assured,” Clementine said. She thought. “What day is it?”

“Sunday,” Anne said from the door.

“I’ve already been here too long...” muttered Clementine. She looked out of the window. It was a bright day. “What time is it?”

“Just past noon,” Barnabas stated, moving to the window.

“There’s time.” Clementine got up. Tina rushed to help.

“Careful! Too much strain and you’ll go dizzy!”

“I’m fine, really!” Clementine insisted. She let her head steady and then slowly moved around the room. She went over to Barnabas, tipped sideways and fell into him. He caught her with surprising (or not) strength.

“Be careful,” he whispered into her ear. She smiled softly.

“OK,” she whispered back. He smiled too. He pushed her back on her feet, and she wobbled back to the bed, where she sat for a while.

“I’m hungry,” Anne remarked. Everyone was chivvied out except Barnabas, who stayed with Clementine.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so,” Clementine answered, a little unsure.

.....

When Clementine was asleep, the events that follow happened in this order.

On the Friday, Elizabeth had met up with Josette outside Angelbay.

“Shall we?” Elizabeth asked. Josette nodded.

Casey was reading a boring looking book. She looked bored too.

“Ms Stoddard?” she said without looking up.

“Yes. I want to know where Clementine went.”

“Pester Marie. MARIIIIIEEEE!!!!!!” Casey bellowed. “COME HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!”

Marie burst into the room. She strolled confidently up to the desk. Marie had never been this chill before – ever.

“How can I help you?” Marie asked silkily.

“Where’s Clementine?” Elizabeth returned, folding her arms.

“Out of town. She might not be back for a few days.”

“I want to know,” Josette said bravely, stepping forward.

“She never specified,” Marie said, examining her nails. Elizabeth started forward. Unfortunately, Marie was quite short, and was dwarfed by Elizabeth. She looked terrified. “She never said! She just drove off!”

“She’s telling the truth,” Josette said quietly. Elizabeth stepped down.

“Is there anywhere she might have gone?”

“Well, I suppose there is where she’s from. Ferr Manor?” Marie suggested. She relaxed a little, now that Elizabeth wasn’t threatening her.

“Where’s that?” Elizabeth asked, not really paying attention, too deep in thought.

“Not far from here. Not far at all, if I think about it.”

“I’d like to go,” Elizabeth murmured.

“She’ll be back before long,” Marie said airily.

“It’s not Clementine I’m worried about.”

Josette and Elizabeth left.

They spent the next days planning what they would do.

“I think we should leave it for a bit,” Elizabeth said to Josette, who wouldn’t hear of it.

“We should go! What if Mrs Johnson is right?”

“Right about what? Clementine and Barnabas? Hah! She always comes out with the craziest ideas!”

“But what if it is right?”

“How would we explain ourselves if it’s not? You have to think the whole thing through properly, Josette! It’s not that simple!”

With that, Elizabeth stormed out. David, who had been eavesdropping, came in to comfort Josette.

“You could always get Willie to take you,” he mumbled. Josette shook her head.

“I couldn’t bring anyone else into this.”

.....

(Moving back to Sunday)

“Barnabas, we must go,” Clementine murmured. They were sat on the edge of her bed. Clementine was leaning on Barnabas’s shoulder, and he had his arms around her, letting her know that she was safe.

“We did not bring anything with us,” Barnabas whispered. Clementine nodded. She looked up at him.

“That makes it easier,” she smiled. He smiled back. She got up, and he assisted her. “There. Not so hard.”

“Come along, then,” Barnabas said. “Get dressed. You will not get very far in your undergarments.”

Clementine chuckled. Barnabas left, and she slipped into her black dress, pulled on some black tights and shoved her feet into her black boots. She left the room and found Barnabas waiting. He offered her his arm, and they silently sneak down the stairs and into the main hall.

Tina had just come out of the dining hall, and was about to go and check on Clementine. She saw the pair slowly sneaking across to the front doors.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Tina shouted. Anne appeared by her side.

“Let them go! They wish to leave!” she commanded. Tina closed her mouth. Clementine looked back.

“I’ll return, I promise,” Clementine called, as Barnabas guided her out of the door.

It was windy outside. Barnabas steered Clementine over to the car. She got in, and so did he. She looked back and saw lots of faces in the windows. She waved, and then set off.

After about an hour, Clementine pulled up at Collinwood.

“Take good care now,” Barnabas said sternly. Clementine gave a weak smile.

“Off you pop,” she said lightly. Barnabas nodded, and set off for the house.

.....

“JOSETTE!!!” David screeched. He ran full pelt across the hall to the front door. Josette appeared.

“What is it, David?” she asked quietly.

“HE’S BACK!” David yelled triumphantly, flinging open the doors. Willie and Elizabeth hurried in, with Carolyn slowly padding after them. A grand figure strolled casually up the drive. Josette’s face lit up.

“Barnabas!” she cried out joyously. Barnabas smiled warmly as the young vampire tore towards him, arms out. Barnabas caught her and held her tightly. Tears spilled from their eyes; they were tears of happiness. In spite of the fact that Barnabas had enjoyed his time away, he had dearly missed his girl.

“Hello, my dear,” Barnabas whispered. She laughed merrily and he picked her up then spun her around in the air. He let her down, and took her to the house. Everyone stared at him as if he hadn’t existed before now.

“Where _were_ you?” Elizabeth demanded.

“With Clementine,” Barnabas answered. He stepped through the doors. Willie closed them. Carolyn, who hadn’t bothered to go down the stairs, went back to her room. David gave Barnabas a half-hug. He, too, left.

“Yes, but _where_?”

“Ferr Manor, I believe.”

“So Marie can tell the truth... well, I’ll leave you to your reunion...”

With that, Elizabeth left.

.....

Clementine drove into Collinsport. She got to Angelbay, and walked into the building very slowly and wearily. She almost collapsed in through the doorway. Luckily, Marie had been on her way out and caught Clementine before she hit the ground.

“Clementine!” Marie exclaimed, setting her back on her feet. Clementine nodded.

“I am tired. And I feel... drained...” Clementine stumbled into her office.

“Shall I get you some water?”

“Please... I should like to have a smoke...”

As she said that, she opened a drawer, extracted a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. She breathed out a cloud of smoke. Marie left her.

“Ahhh,” Clementine sighed, closing her eyes, letting everything go. Marie came back with a glass

of water before she left to go and speak to Casey. Clementine smiled. Peace.


	14. Fourteen

The Collins family got back into their usual routine. With Barnabas back, everyone brightened up. The shared business went on well. Clementine took charge of getting into a gentle flow. Marie looked after Angelbay, and Elizabeth jumped around between Fisherman’s Pride and Collins Canning.

Josette and Barnabas seemed to be firmly glued together by their hands. Almost every time someone walked into a supposedly empty room, it was like accidental hide and seek. Behind curtains, behind doors, in secret rooms, on balconies... it was too much for the residents of Collinwood.

One evening, Elizabeth confronted the pair.

“Now,” she began, before food was served. She stood. “I’m afraid, Barnabas and Josette, we need to speak about the issue of finding the pair of you all around the house. So, I propose you either go outside, in your room, or on one of the balconies. Not everywhere else.”

Josette blushed. Barnabas nodded solemnly.

“We shall do our best. But, you know, the urge does overcome us in the _strangest_ of places...” Barnabas said, trailing off. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

.....

On a Sunday night, Clementine thought it an idea to walk up to Widows’ Hill. It was a very dark, windy day. The trees creaked, the wind whistled and the sea crashed below her. She sat on the cliff edge, her legs dangling off. She lay back on the damp ground. She could taste and smell the salty air. It was so loud she didn’t hear Barnabas coming up behind her.

“Be careful. You do not want to fall.”

Clementine got up as quick as she could. She struggled and almost slipped off, holding on to the cliff tightly with her hands and arms. She heaved herself back onto solid ground to see Barnabas stood over her. She stumbled to her feet and almost fell back over the edge. Barnabas caught her arms.

“You do not want to fall,” he repeated. She nodded and gripped Barnabas’s sleeves.

She looked up, into his dark black eyes. She looked down again at her feet and shuffled away from the edge. Barnabas pulled her even further in.

“What were you thinking, sitting there like that?” he demanded, shaking her slightly.

“I wanted to think,” she whispered, the wind drowning her out.

“Was there any real need for you to be perched precariously as you were?”

“I guess not,” she replied. Barnabas slowly brought her into a safe embrace. Clementine accepted this, clinging to Barnabas tightly.

“Please do not do that again,” he muttered into her ear. Clementine closed her eyes and smiled.

“I can’t do that,” she muttered back.

.....

Clementine had met Barnabas several times in town. They had had polite conversations about the weather, and their meeting at Widows’ Hill. Barnabas had smiled and Clementine had flushed slightly. They had gone on each time as if nothing had happened. Eventually, Clementine began to ignore Barnabas. His hurt was always clear.

After a month of this treatment, Barnabas went to see Clementine. He was worried. Clementine was busy writing some boring documents of how the businesses had flourished. A knock on the door made her jump up.

“Come in,” she said, sitting back down. Barnabas entered. He was grave. His brows were furrowed. His shoulders were stiff. Clementine bowed her head, gazing up at him as he approached. “Yes?”

“Why have you ignored my attempts to speak to you?” Barnabas asked quietly. Clementine moved her head up. Barnabas saw that she looked terrified. She was scared of him.

“Have I?” she breathed. She stood and slowly moved around the desk to him. He turned to face her.

“Yes. On the streets. I have tried to talk. You just... keep on going...” he trailed off. He made a mistake when he decided it was a good idea to look deep into Clementine’s beautiful amber eyes. “Your eyes are the most interesting shade...”

Clementine shifted her glance to Barnabas’s hands. One floated inches from her cheek, the other seeking hers. She recoiled slightly.

“Barnabas?” she said cautiously. The next thing she knew, he had pulled her close. He kissed her. Clementine knew then that he wasn’t himself. The only way she could react was by trying to push him away. She succeeded and ripped off a glove. She created a massive, tall flame. Barnabas snapped back to reality.

“What happened?” he whispered, falling to his knees, staring up in awe of the flame. Clementine glared at him. She absorbed the flame and pulled her glove back on. She wiped her mouth.

“‘What happened?’” she said, quoting him. “‘What happened?!’ Barnabas Collins.”

Clementine face showed that she was disgusted. She turned away. Barnabas tried to remember.

“You’re seduced. That’s what. I don’t get why.”

“Please... help me.”

“The only way I can help you is by asking you to never come near me again. I am not Angelique! I am not a witch! You want her help? You should’ve thought of that before... before you... before you killed her!” Clementine cried, shouting as loud as she could.

And so Barnabas left her to cry. Her eyes became waterfalls. She collapsed. If only Angelique _were_ there... then none of that would’ve ever happened... Clementine felt lonely, more alone than she had ever felt before.

.....

Barnabas felt it all come back to him as he walked home. Clementine’s eyes were hypnotic. They seized control over him. He felt guilty. He had ended a decent friendship that had given him much. But all of that talk about Angelique was pure cruelty. Barnabas already felt guilty; it didn’t need to be made worse for no apparent reason.

Once back at Collinwood, he decided to ask Elizabeth what he should do. She usually had good advice. She was in the drawing room, at one of the windows overlooking the town. She seemed relieved when Barnabas came in.

“Oh, thank goodness! I just got a call - there’s some interesting information concerning Dr Hoffman!”

A moment later, Barnabas was sat down and Elizabeth was pacing back and forth. It was doing poor Barnabas’s head in.

“Apparently a very large fish got caught in one of the nets. It was very heavy. So they pulled it up and got the shock of their lives!” Elizabeth said. “Dr Hoffman was all wrapped up in some sort of sack with a severed rope tied to her.”

“Hmm,” Barnabas said, trying to be innocent. “Indeed.”

“When they brought her out... how do I put this... it may scare you.”

“Elizabeth I am a vampire, do you honestly think anything could be weirder?”

Elizabeth thought for a moment before answering, “My nephew can see ghosts and my daughter’s a werewolf. You’re right.”

“Well, you may continue.” 

“Alright. She woke up. As if she had just gone to sleep. She seemed frightened and kept saying your name...?”

Barnabas’s eyes widened and he looked away. He looked back and found Elizabeth was staring right at him.

“Ah. I wonder why that would be...” he trailed off. Elizabeth frowned and folded her arms.

“Barnabas, is there something you’re not telling me?”

Barnabas chewed the inside of his cheek. He looked up, down, side to side and finally back at Elizabeth.

“No,” he concluded. He then got up, bowed his head politely and walked out.

“I’ll call Clementine and tell her! Or maybe you should!” Elizabeth shouted after him.

.....

Clementine had already heard the news. She had been out for a walk to try and clear her head and had heard the cries out that someone had been pulled out from the bottom – alive. From there, Clementine had alerted nearby people so that they could get suitable help.

Dr Julia Hoffman was still breathing heavily when Clementine got there. Now on land, she felt considerably more comfortable. She had three towels wrapped around her. They were already soaked.

“You,” Julia muttered as she approached. “I remember you... you’re Angie Bouchard’s servant girl, aren’t you?”

“No,” Clementine said gently, “I was her sister.”

“Was?” Julia questioned. “ _Was_?! What have I missed?”

“Angelique died,” answered Clementine. “You’ve been down there for too long. I think I know why. Open your mouth.”

Julia did so, revealing pointed fangs. Clementine recoiled at the sight of them. Julia shut her mouth and stared intently at Clementine.

“I’m a vampire, aren’t I?”

“Most definitely.”

There was an awkward pause in which Julia kept sniffing and Clementine tapped her fingers together and muttered under her breath.

“Can you _please_ stop?” Julia said after a while. “It’s getting on my nerves.”

“What happened?” Clementine asked. “What did you do to make Barnabas bite you? How? Tell me, I must know!”

“He probably wouldn’t want me to-“

“I don’t care! Tell me!”

Julia raised her eyebrows. She nodded.

“Sure, but give me a drink and take me somewhere warm. Oh – and fill me in on what’s been going on.”

Clementine helped Julia to her feet and guided her into Angelbay. She ignored Casey and took her up to the office. Marie appeared looking worried.

“Marie, brandy,” Clementine order. Marie nodded and rushed off.

“You mean you don’t keep brandy around?” Julia said, surprised. Clementine shook her head. “Do you drink at all?”

“If it was up to me, I’d probably be an alcoholic,” Clementine said. She then realised that that was exactly was Julia was. “No offense,” she added.

“None taken.”

Julia sat down and Clementine took her towels. She made Julia get up and moved the chair closer to the radiator, from which pleasant heat was coming. Julia sat down again. Marie entered and gave her a glass of brandy.

“Thanks,” she gasped, pouring the orange liquid down her throat. She emptied the glass and sighed happily. “Thanks very much...”

“Right. I’ll fulfil my half of the deal, and then you do.”

“Fine, fine, whatever, I’m listening,” Julia mumbled, staring at her empty glass. Clementine looked at Marie who was holding a decanter of brandy. She took it and refilled Julia’s glass.

“I think... yes. Okay, so after you went missing, Barnabas got Roger Collins to leave. After that, well the Collins family fought me and Angelique, who was killed by David’s mother, the ghost. I burnt down the house and Barnabas ran after Vicky. She fell off of the cliff but Barnabas bit her. Not in time, and now Barnabas’s old lover, Josette, lives in Vicky’s body. Is that all?”

“I dunno, do I? I wasn’t here, dummy.”

Clementine looked at Marie who nodded. Marie left and Clementine pulled her chair closer.

“So your Angie dies and you inherit her company. Is suppose the Collinses are still ruined?”

“Actually, I helped them. I gave them enough money to cover the house and the cannery. We now have a joint cannery called Fisherman’s Pride,” Clementine finished. Julia nodded and sipped her brandy.

“Fair enough. Now I tell you my story.”

Clementine leaned forward. She put her head on her hand and watched Julia carefully.

“Barnabas asked me to make him human again using blood transfusions. I was supposedly using my blood to make him human, but, I was using his blood, and here I quote him, ‘to make myself immortal’. When he found out, he bit me. I suppose he wrapped me up and threw me down into the sea with a weighted box. The rope cut when they caught me in the net,” Julia sighed. Clementine sat back in her chair. She bit her lip and started to wring her hands. She got up and began to pace.

“I’ve got to speak to Barnabas,” she said.

“No! You can’t! You can’t tell him I told you!”

“This is important. I know, I know, I told him to stay away from me... and I don’t want to go near him... I suppose it’s childish...”

“You’re out of your mind, deary,” Julia commented airily, tossing back the rest of her drink.

“I think you’ll find I’m actually very sane, thank you.”


	15. Fifteen

Barnabas was standing beside the phone on the desk in front of him. Elizabeth coughed.

“I don’t know what good it’ll do you procrastinating,” Elizabeth remarked. Barnabas sighed.

“You are right, of course,” he said, somewhat reluctantly picking up the receiver and dialling the number. There was a click and Casey’s voice spoke.

“Yeah, Angelbay Cannery?”

“Since when have you taken to answering calls?” Barnabas frowned.

“Only a couple of days ago. I assume you want to speak to Clementine?” Casey replied.

“Yes, that would be of some help.”

“Okay, I’ll put you through...”

Another click. Clementine spoke.

“Hello?”

“Clementine.”

There was an awkward pause in which there came a faint tapping noise and then a loud crash.

“Good afternoon, Barnabas,” Clementine said tiredly.

“Er, hello. Elizabeth and I thought you ought to know that Dr Hoffman has been found. And what was that noise?”

“The reason you’re calling me about this is because I basically told the whole town what happened. And that noise was said drowned person knocking over her chair.”

“Wait – hang on... Dr Hoffman is _with you_?” Barnabas demanded.

“Calm down. Yes Julia is with me.”

“Ah. I see,” Barnabas muttered. He covered the speaker of the receiver and turned to Elizabeth. “Dr Hoffman is with her.”

“ _What_?” Elizabeth cried. “Oh, mercy me... I’m going down there. Come with me.”

“Well, I’d rather not-”

“Of course you would. Come.”

Barnabas rolled his eyes and uncovered the speaker.

“Er – Clementine, we’re coming down.”

“Don’t, Barnabas. Please don’t.”

“Elizabeth insists that I accompany her.”

“Well... it would be better for both me and Julia if you didn’t come in.”

“You do realise that we are probably taking her back with us.”

“Yes... yes... alright, come if you must, just don’t look me in the eyes. Not again. Please.”

.....

Clementine sat behind her desk smoking with Julia opposite her when Elizabeth and Barnabas entered.

“Julia?” Elizabeth murmured. Julia turned around.

“Ah, Elizabeth,” Julia said, “I was wondering when you were going to turn up.”

The doctor’s eyes met Barnabas’s. She looked away quickly.

“Julia what happened?”

“Well, let’s see, I can’t remember.”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to get her to remember. I guess brandy doesn’t really help...” Clementine said thoughtfully. She sucked long and hard on her cigarette and rubbed her chin. “Anyway, I need to speak to Barnabas. You two must have a lot of catching up to do, so you stay nice and comfy in here, Barnabas, come to the board room.”

Stubbing her cigarette out, she got up and opened the door. She bowed her head as Barnabas walked out across the hall. She closed the door behind her and opened the next one. She shut it and then went to sit at the head of the table at the opposite end of the room. Barnabas stayed standing.

“Sit,” she offered, gesturing to the chair on her right. She crossed one leg over the other and propped up her head with her arm on the table. Barnabas felt as if he had to obey, so he sat down, uncomfortably perched on the edge of the chair.

“What is it?”

“I wish to speak about the reasoning behind putting Dr Hoffman in the sea, first having bitten her,” Clementine answered, lifting her head and peering at her nails with apparent fascination.

“How do you-?”

“She told me everything. I know _why_ you did it, but why?” Clementine asked, finally meeting his gaze. They didn’t look away.

“I did it because I felt betrayed. She had said that she would help me, but she tricked me. And now I suppose she’s immortal,” Barnabas sighed. Clementine couldn’t help feeling a little sad.

“She is. Well, not much we can do about that,” said Clementine. She reached over and placed her hand on Barnabas’s. “I hope I can fix things.”

“You are not the one who needs to fix things. It is I who needs to apologise. I am so sorry. I had no intention of doing to you what I did.”

Clementine couldn’t resist a smile.

“Thank you,” she beamed. “That’s all there ever was to it, wasn’t it? Like I said earlier... so very childish...”

Barnabas frowned. He examined Clementine carefully.

“You are speaking to yourself,” he said. Clementine nodded.

“I do that quite a lot,” said she.

.....

Glad that things were back to normal, Clementine bid Julia, Elizabeth and Barnabas goodbye. They went back to the house. Julia was confused when they got there.

“I don’t know,” she said loudly, “but it seems... different.”

“That’s because it _is_ , Julia,” said Elizabeth. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “It burnt down.”

“Oh yeah... Clementine did tell me about that... so you rebuilt the old place. Didn’t think about something nicer?”

Barnabas made a point of clearing his throat behind them. Julia turned.

“I forgot. Sorry.”

Barnabas drifted off somewhere whilst Julia and Elizabeth went down to what used to be Julia’s room. It was empty. She looked around. Elizabeth watched her from the door, leaning against the frame.

“We could put some furniture down here,” Elizabeth suggested.

“No shit,” Julia replied. “We need some furniture down here.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Nothing can be done for now.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Julia said. “I’ll just have to sleep on this cold floor...”

“Julia, be real,” Elizabeth said tiredly. “We’ll get something from the drawing room.”

.....

The next morning reflected the mood of everyone: tired. The clouds crept slowly across the sky. The only place where any breeze could be felt at all was by the sea.

Elizabeth and Julia spent the morning hauling stuff downstairs. They shifted things around then shifted them again until Julia was satisfied. Eventually, there was a chaise longue, a small bed, a bedside cabinet, a table and chair, a tiny fridge full of alcoholic beverages and a wardrobe.

Julia smiled at the setup.

“Just how I imagined it,” she grinned, showing her fangs. Elizabeth glanced sideways at her.

“You imagined it like this?” she asked in a dull voice.

“More or less,” Julia replied.

“Is it better or worse than it used to be?”

“Liz, come on, it can’t possibly be better than it was,” Julia said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Fine, fine,” Elizabeth said, flinging her arms up in surrender while turning to leave. “I want some lunch. You coming?”

“Uh huh...” Julia murmured, not really listening. Elizabeth shook her head and left.

.....

It was an otherwise uneventful day. Josette took David into town and he bought a new dinosaur to add to his collection. Carolyn listened to music and sulked in her room. Julia admired the layout of her room and then sat doing nothing. Elizabeth went to see the cannery and got bored enough to go and visit Clementine, who was in a great mood.

“Come in!” she called at a tap on the door. Elizabeth came in. She had lines on her forehead. There were shadows under her eyes. Clementine winced. “You look awful.”

“Julia’s had me pushing and pulling and heaving at furniture all morning,” Elizabeth groaned. She sank into the chair opposite Clementine and rubbed her temples. “I didn’t sleep well either.”

“Oh... not your day, hmm?” Clementine mused. “No matter.”

“I take it you’re in a good mood,” Elizabeth grumbled. Clementine tilted her head.

“Not so bad,” she replied. Elizabeth nodded and sighed. “I have a feeling something is going to go very wrong, very soon,” she added after a while. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, when I was away, I had a fiery explosion...” Clementine began. “I don’t really remember what happened.”

Elizabeth pondered this for a little. She nodded slowly, taking in the information.

“Will it be a major problem in future, do you think?” she mused.

“Yes,” Clementine answered simply.


	16. Sixteen

Clementine went back to Ferr Manor. She wanted to apologise for the way that she departed. She’d also made her mind up about something.

The big front doors appeared within eyesight as she drove down the road the house was located on, the wind whispering in her ears, her hair whipping around her head in the open top car. She pulled to a halt in the drive and cut the engine. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was anxious for this.

She made her way up to the doors, the drive’s gravel crunching beneath her black boots, her footsteps faltering ever so slightly, her legs wobbling. She eventually reached the house and rapped sharply on the flaked brown paint of the door. She turned away from the door and examined her knuckles. They were stretched white with flecks of paint. She brushed them off as the door creaked slightly behind her.

“Cle-” a voice began. “Clementine...?”

Clementine glanced over her shoulder. She smiled at the familiar figure. A small, elegant face with icy blue eyes and flawless skin. Pale brown hair drawn back into a low bun, but a thin plait ridding the style of any plainness. Small lips of a pale pink. This was Tina.

“Tina.” Clementine fought to keep her voice calm.

“You came back.”

“Of course. I said I would. I had to; I couldn’t not come back now, could I?” Clementine said, a hint of sarcasm just audible. She turned around. Tina was so small compared to her, just reaching her shoulder; even with Clementine’s flat boots she was small.

“Umm... you want to come in?”

“Yes, of course.”

Clementine shuffled past Tina, who shut the door after her. The place hadn’t changed much since Clementine was last there, just a few things had been moved and there was a smell of fresh paint. The walls looked cleaner than they had been, a shade of white that was as close to snow white as paint can get.

“Why did you come back?” Tina asked as she led Clementine to the main sitting room.

“Do you want the truth, or a lie that will be easier to hear?” Clementine asked.

“Umm... truth?” Tina replied, not sure if it was what she wanted. Clementine hid a small grin. Goodness, why was she so perfect?

“I came to talk to you,” she said; she just put it out, no expression, no tone.

“But...” Tina had to think. “Why... why would you come back just for me?”

“There’s a couple of things I need you know. First something bad is going to happen to me. I don’t know what, but I have a feeling that what happened when I was here last is just the beginning...” Clementine said, trailing off.

“When do you think...?”

“I don’t know. But soon. I just... I just have a feeling, you know? And the feeling isn’t far so what follows can’t be either...”

Tina and Clementine sat in silence for a while. Clementine watched the clock tick. Tina watched Clementine intently, her blue eyes fixing on Clementine’s amber ones. However Clementine just kept staring at the hands of the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.

“Weren’t you gonna say somethin’ else?” Tina asked.

“Was I...?” Clementine murmured, almost as if she were in a trance. She blinked and looked at Tina. “I was.”

There was another pause and then Tina said, “So?”

“It can wait.”

Tina made an indistinct noise, to which Clementine replied with a wave of her hands and a shrug, then nodding firmly, having decided she had said all.

Clementine had not realised it was evening until that point. She got up and floated elegantly to the window, Tina meekly trotting in her wake. Throwing open the French windows and stepping outside. The balcony was short and narrow, but two planters were comfortably sat upon the edge. There were pansies in one and peonies in the other. The balcony overlooked the garden below, in which were hollyhocks and roses, tulips and gardenias. Jasmine, honeysuckle, rhododendrons, daisies, poppies, and a few topiaries decorated the area below. It was wonderful; Clementine knew that it was lovingly tended to by several keen gardeners with immense skill and precision.

Breathing in the sweet, cool air, Clementine turned to Tina, whose face looked pale in the receding light.

“Alright,” she sighed, “I suppose I better get it out.”

“What? Get what out?” Tina asked with interest. Clementine pursed her lips and let out a small, insignificant laugh.

“I...” she baulked, swallowing hard. “I think I’m in love...”

“You’re in love,” Tina repeated, her eyebrows shooting up. She folded her arms. “May I ask who it is?”

“It’s – it’s –” Clementine tried to say. She made a noise of exasperation and rubbed her face with her silk hands. “I think I’m in love with you Tina.”


	17. Seventeen

Julia was sat admiring her handiwork. She had just painted her room and finished adding furniture. She looked around, beaming.

“Da dee dee, dum da dahhh...” came a voice. Julia’s head swivelled like an owl’s towards the door just as David entered. “Oh... hi Dr Hoffman...”

“Hello David,” Julia sighed, getting up and moving around in search of a bottle of whisky. “Can I help you with something?”

“Uh... no, I came here accidentally,” he replied with uncertainty. “I, uh... kinda forgot you were back, and that this place would be... full of stuff...”

“And full of stuff it is, David,” Julia said, grinning as she pulled out from behind a chair a bottle full of an orange liquid. Her eyes glittered as she produced a glass, removed the stopper and poured out a generous amount. She re-hid the bottle and took a swig, almost draining the glass.

“Umm... I’ll just... go...”

“No, no... no no no no no! You must stay and chat!” Julia exclaimed, pausing to soak up the dregs of whisky from her glass. She let out an ‘aahhh’ that suggested she had enjoyed her drink, and continued. “I have no idea how you’ve been of late. I was sort of in deep water... literally.”

She hiccupped and frowned. She took a seat and leaned back. David was stood awkwardly with his hands folded behind him and an almost scared expression on his face. There was some wondering why on the part of Julia, until she realised she was showing her teeth. She shut her mouth quickly.

“Did I... are you...? Have you got... did Uncle Barnabas...?” David couldn’t for the life of him finish any sentences he started. He stood for a while opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Julia snorted and turned it into an unconvincing coughing fit. David just watched. Eventually, he turned tail and ran up the steps. After watching him leave, Julia shrugged and hiccupped.

.....

Elizabeth was rubbing her face with her hands. Why did Clementine have to speak to her about this ‘bad thing’ approaching? It worried her. And she didn’t know why; it might not even be true. It probably was just a stupid gut feeling. Still, Elizabeth was keeping an eye out for unusual goings on.

When she got home that day, Elizabeth found Clementine sat comfortably on the stairs with a girl she didn’t recognise stood awkwardly beside her. Clementine was laughing. Elizabeth smiled.

“Clementine, what a nice surprise,” Elizabeth said. Clementine looked up, her face still beaming.

“Hiya Liz,” she grinned, getting up and hurrying over and embracing a slightly surprised Elizabeth. “Um, this is Tina, from Ferr Manor.”

“A pleasure,” Tina said quietly, bowing her head slightly. Elizabeth stuck out a hand and Tina timidly shook it. Elizabeth’s observational skills noticed the way Clementine took Tina’s hand, Tina squeezing it gently. An eyebrow rose, but not too much to be noticed.

“Uhh, Liz, do you mind giving her a place to stay here?” Clementine asked. “It’s just... should anything... _bad_... happen, Tina would like to be near to... help?”

“Of course, Clementine,” Elizabeth said. She smiled kindly at Tina. “Come, we’ll find you a room.”

Clementine and Tina followed Elizabeth up the stairs and off to the left, where most of the rooms were. After marching up and down for quite some time, Elizabeth opened a door cautiously and peered inside. Deciding it was fine, she pushed the door over and let the other two in.

“This will do lovely, ma’am,” Tina said politely.

“Oh, please, call me Elizabeth,” Elizabeth smiled warmly. Tina returned it and thanked her. “Oh, and Clementine?”

“Yes?”

“Come with me, I’d like to talk. Tina, feel free to get settled.”

Clementine gazed into Tina’s eyes before following Elizabeth out of the room and along the corridor. They walked until they reached the drawing room. Clementine entered first and Elizabeth shut the door.

“Well, Liz, I don’t know how to thank you. You know I said something bad is gonna happen. And it will involve me. Tina will want to be here when it does.”

“You can thank me by telling me if you know anything else about this ‘event’, and also what part Tina plays in all of this,” Elizabeth frowned, folding her arms and leaning against her desk. Clementine averted her eyes from Elizabeth’s, which were searching for answers from facial expressions.

“I – I –” she began, not sure of what to say. “I don’t know anything else. At least, I don’t think that I do. And as for Tina, well... I saw the way you looked at our hands. I’m guessing you already know...”

“Knew would be a better word,” Elizabeth replied, feeling a coming yawn and moving a hand to stifle it, but nothing came. Damn she hated it when that happened. Clementine furrowed her brow.

“You... what, you knew? How? I never... I didn’t... what?” Clementine was going through thoughts in her head. At no point had she ever done anything to suggest her sexuality. Except for rejecting Barnabas. But... “You mean what happened with Barnabas?”

Elizabeth nodded. Clementine couldn’t help but let out a harsh laugh.

“Just because I pushed him away that once doesn’t mean that that had ever happened before. Anyway, it doesn’t prove anything.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and concealed a smirk. Clementine made an angry noise and moved swiftly over to her friend.

“Look. I’ve never had a romantic relationship before. I’ve just got over the fact that I like Tina in that way. She’s just got over that too. She’s also gotten over the fact that she liked me in that way since the moment we met.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘lesbian’,” Elizabeth said, trying to look and sound serious, biting both her lips at once so you couldn’t tell what her mouth was really doing. Clementine sighed loudly and left, no doubt to look for Tina. As soon as she was gone, Elizabeth let out an alien noise that was somewhere between a cackle and a scream.

.....

Barnabas had had a rather enjoyable afternoon at the beach with Josette and David. They had read books, built sandcastles and drawn in the sand. David had splashed water all over himself and Josette, whilst Barnabas had sat and watched from afar. Despite his fondness for dear Uncle Barnabas, David was a little more wary now he was certain Dr Hoffman was a vampire.

Upon returning to Collinwood, a high pitched shriek echoed through the house, making the vampires and David jump out of their skins.

“What was that?” David asked in a hushed voice.

“I have no idea, Master David,” Barnabas muttered. He smoothly crossed the room and went up the stairs. Willie came out from the dining room.

“What the hell was that noise?” he said to no one in particular, more to himself than anyone else.

“I shall find out,” Barnabas said. He approached the drawing room and nudged the door with his foot. It creaked open to reveal Elizabeth with hands clapped over her mouth. “Was it you, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth recovered herself. “Was what me, Barnabas?”

“That awful noise.”

“Umm... yes, yes that was me.”

The door creaked again as Josette and David came in.

“Aunt Elizabeth?”

“Yes David?”

“What was the noise?”

“It was me, David.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence, followed by the muffled sounds of a vacuum cleaner. Then, over that, was a huge thud accompanied by what could only be Carolyn yelling “SHIT!”


	18. Eighteen

Barnabas was stood on one of the many balconies of Collinwood. He closed his eyes. He thought of a day that was in the past, one where he detested the woman he shared the moment with. The memory was so clear. He was there, back in his mind.

She looked coldly at him for a while before turning away and placing her hands on the stone wall. Barnabas joined her a second later, stealing sidelong glances at her, noting minor things: the way her hair fluttered gently with the sea breeze; her slight shivers that weren’t from the wind but the cold hatred she shared with Angelique against the vampire beside her, her fingers fiddling with the edges of her gloves.

Barnabas was impatiently thinking until he burst out saying, “Did you have anything against Victoria?”

This took Clementine by surprise.

“What brought that up?”

“I was thinking about the past,” he replied.

“The past... well in answer to your question,” she said, “I guess I did.”

Barnabas sighed. “I meant in your personal opinion. Not Miss Bouchard’s.”

“The answer is the same both ways, it doesn’t matter what you say,” Clementine snapped. She licked her bottom lip before she bit it.

“And that is supposed to drive people like me up the wall,” he thought.

Clementine bowed her head slightly and looked up at Barnabas, tongue between her teeth. Almost as if she had read his mind, she spoke.

“Yes. That is supposed to drive people like you up the wall,” she hissed.

“Great,” Barnabas muttered. “When do we hit the ceiling?”

“Oh soon enough,” Clementine said, throwing all of her anger into mustering up as much sarcasm that could reach the tip of her tongue. She was unaware Barnabas had silently named her a psychotic and telepathic freak. She did notice his stare, his furrowed brow and taught mouth. Her face fell into an emotionless mask as she stared back out at the open landscape. As peace washed over her, she felt a sudden urge. Unsure of what it was, she headed inside before she collapsed then and there.

But Barnabas was alone. Clementine wasn’t there. She had headed back into town after Elizabeth’s shriek. He had greeted Tina and had then gone out onto the very same balcony to contemplate life. Or death. Whichever makes the most sense.

After a while, Barnabas got bored. He retired indoors, heading to the dining room. Considering, it was time for dinner, and he wouldn’t want to be late, especially when there was a lovely guest.

.....

Tina was sat in the dining room to the right of the head of the table. Elizabeth was talking about business and how life was in Collinsport. Tina listened eagerly, soaking up all the details about Clementine. Thankfully, no one else was yet in the room, and Willie was clattering around too noisily in the kitchen to be able to hear their words.

“Hey, Tina,” Elizabeth said gently, taking Tina’s hand. “I just want you to know you can stay here as long as you like.”

She smiled widely, making Tina laugh merrily. Tina’s face straightened out when a thought made its way to the front of her mind.

“I know you know that Clementine and I are involved,” she said. “I don’t care who knows.”

“How long have you... felt this way about each other?”

“Well, we sort of... came clean today,” Tina murmured, a small smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. “But I know she’s been thinking a lot about it. And... for me I know now it was always there.”

Elizabeth nodded. Of course, Elizabeth was always an agreeable and understanding person. But she was happy Clementine had found even the slightest bit of romance. Well, Tina seemed nice enough. She had a sweet face with beautiful eyes that held so much feeling that Elizabeth was sure if she were to shatter emotionally then her eyes would too.

Barnabas entered the room gracefully with Josette’s arm in his, her eyes glittering and his shining dully.

“Hello Barnabas,” Tina said, rising from her seat to meet Josette. “Hello... Josette? I’m Tina.”

Josette shook hands with Tina with a peaceful face and then seated herself beside Barnabas. David ran in and gave Tina a hug.

“Hi, I’m David!” he breathed, his cheeks flushed. He looked really happy.

“Well, hi David. I’m Tina.”

It was interesting with Carolyn, Tina being quite humble and Carolyn sort of being... Carolyn. She slumped in her chair as far away from civilisation as she could be and still be sat at the table. Tina didn’t get a great first impression, but she just assumed Carolyn was being a moody teenager.

Dr Julia Hoffman never showed up.

.....

The next day, Tina went into town with Elizabeth and Willie. Barnabas stayed home with Josette and David, Carolyn went off for a ‘walk’, Mrs Johnson was probably cleaning something over and over in some corner and Julia was nowhere to be found.

Once in town, Tina went over to Angelbay. She walked in and was greeted by Casey.

“Do you have an appointment?” Casey muttered. The sentence was so unclear that Tina was about to ask for a repeat when Clementine appeared out of thin air. She wore a simple dress that was a pale grey and sat above her ankles. She was wearing her favourite black boots.

“She doesn’t need one,” Clementine said firmly to Casey. She pulled Tina away with a massive grin on her face.

Clementine’s office wasn’t very tidy at that particular moment. Marie was in there sorting through papers on the floor, sat cross legged and looking very thoughtful. She glanced up and beamed as the pair entered.

“Hi Tina,” she said kindly, standing up and brushing herself off. She embraced Clementine’s companion, introduced herself and then left looking very cheerful. Tina watched the door shut and then felt arms winding around her waist. She turned around to face Clementine. A smooth finger dressed in dark grey caressed Tina’s cheek.

“You okay?” Clementine whispered, leaning in and leaving a soft kiss on Tina’s forehead.

“Yeah,” Tina murmured, smiling faintly and then pulling Clementine’s lips to her own.

“Hey,” Clementine said, more seriously now. She sat down on a nearby sofa and gestured for Tina to join her. “Are you sure you’re happy with this?”

“Clementine,” Tina sighed, “I already told you, the feelings... clicked.”

“In that case,” Clementine said, a small grin coming on, “I suppose I’m allowed to do this...”

She took Tina’s face in her hands and pressed their mouths together. One of Tina’s hands slithered up Clementine’s neck, her fingers winding in her soft fiery hair. Tina’s other hand pulled Clementine’s legs across her own. They shifted and Clementine was now on Tina’s lap, both of them pressing the other to themselves. Tina gasped as Clementine slowly made her way down her neck with a trail of gentle kisses. She came back up, gave Tina a final kiss and then hugged her tightly, not wanting to ever let go.

.....

Barnabas made his way into town on foot, enjoying the scenery and the pleasant stroll; the only problem was that Barnabas looked like some sort of dealer with his dark clothing and big hat along with the shades to protect him from the sun.

He paid Elizabeth a visit for a good long while, took another pleasant stroll around the marina, and then went to see how Fisherman’s Pride was getting on. He walked on up the office and found Clementine sat behind her desk rummaging around frantically.

“Hello, Clementine,” Barnabas said, loudly enough so he would be hear.

“Oh, hiya,” Clementine replied, not looking up, and instead pulling out a large wad of paper. She flipped through page after page, each one floating to the ground beside her in a messy heap. “Did you want something or have you just come to say that?”

“I came to examine the business.”

“Yeah well I’m the one doing that at the moment,” Clementine grumbled, scanning a page and setting it on the only empty space on the desk.

“Is this a bad time?”

“No, no, stay if you like. Just take a seat over there... somewhere here, yes... ah.”

She produced a folder from nowhere and shoved some documents in it roughly. Barnabas raised his eyebrows and sat behind Elizabeth’s desk. It was very neat with only a few papers and a pot of writing implements, whereas Clementine had folders and paper and stationery EVERYWHERE.

“Right, er, that’s that...” she mumbled to herself, shoving the pile on the floor back into the desk. She beamed and went over to Barnabas. “Okay, so what can I help you with?”

Barnabas frowned. “Where is Tina?”

“Oh she went back to Collinwood with Elizabeth and Willie. But she said she enjoyed herself today.”

“What did you get up to?” Barnabas asked, standing and examining the photographs and paintings on the walls.

“Uhhh...” Clementine grimaced. “Do you really want to know?”

“Ah,” Barnabas said as calmly as he could, concealing a smirk. “I see.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” she replied abruptly.

“I do not need to,” he said under his breath.

“I heard that.”

.....

The rest of the day was just like any other, although it started to rain, which it hadn’t done for ages. Clementine offered to drop Barnabas back home, she got to see Tina again and they exchanged fond words and an embrace as well as a kiss or two. Clementine drove back into Collinsport and parked up at Angelbay for the last couple of hours to finish up. She told Casey to go home early and asked Marie to help her.

“I wish you were more careful with things,” Marie said, attempting to tidy Clementine’s desk.

“Yeah, well, I just sort of... get on with life because my desk isn’t really the most important thing. Wages and sales however, now that is useful to know.”

“Yes, but a little cleanliness or at least tidiness would help to... oh, I don’t know. I give up.”

Clementine laughed and Marie joined in. Clementine stopped suddenly, her face growing worried. She looked down at her fingers. Holding up both of her hands to the light, both women saw the plumes of smoke coming from Clementine’s gloves. Her fingertips glowed and an alarmed look took over.

“Marie, fetch some water please,” she said, her voice shaking. “Quickly, please!”

Marie tore out of the room to get some water. Clementine sat and watched in fear as the gloves ignited, her hands becoming clubs of fire. She didn’t notice the papers on her desk catching fire, the flames spreading over the words, burning them, and then revealing the polished desk surface. Within minutes the desk had become a raging inferno and Clementine was in the middle of a panic attack backed up against the wall. Soon, the floor had patches of fire scattered all over. The fire alarms went off. There was a rush. The people who had still working ran as fast as they could. Clementine’s gloves had finally burned up. Her tears glinted in the orange-red light. Marie burst back in.

“Clementine!” she shouted. She ran over and hauled Clementine to her feet. “Come on!”

“No, I’ll kill you,” Clementine begged. “Let me stay...”

“No chance,” Marie said sternly. She tugged Clementine out of the room, dodging the fire, ran down the corridor, down the stairs and out of the building, into the wet night.

“Marie,” Clementine said quietly, trying to get away. Marie kept a tight grip on Clementine’s arm.

“Come on,” encouraged Marie. The pair had arrived at Clementine’s car. Clementine got in the passenger seat, Marie in the driver’s. “Move people!”

Clementine had never seen Marie like this. The crowds of workers and spectators caught sight of them and began shouting. Soon it was loud enough to wake a sleeping giant. Clementine could only drive away. She gritted her teeth and stomped the accelerator. The car zoomed out of the town and away up the road.

Collinwood loomed ahead in the darkness. Clementine drove in; the gates were wide open. She jumped out with Marie and ran to the doors. They opened for them. Elizabeth stepped out from behind the door when they entered. She shut the door and saw what state Clementine was in.

“I’ll get Barnabas,” she said and hurried off. Clementine collapsed. Marie fell with her. She wrapped her arms around Clementine’s weak body. Elizabeth came back with Barnabas. He ran to Clementine, relieving Marie of the burden.

“Clementine,” he muttered, sliding an arm under her and brushing her hair out of her face with his other hand. “I’m taking you outside.”

He ran with her to Widow’s Hill. He lay her down in the grass. It was the perfect place to die. The breeze was gentle and the sound of the sea below was almost sleep inducing. He leant close to her and kissed her cheek. She smiled up at him.

“Barnabas,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry...”

“Don’t be,” he said softly. She smiled sadly. He took her hands gently and held them to his heart.

“I was a fool... it was childish, I know, but-”

“Shh... don’t strain yourself...” he let go of a hand and pushed her hair back again. Clementine watched calmly as small fire tendrils climbed up Barnabas’s arms before fizzling out.

“End it. Please.”

“No... I can’t...”

“Barnabas you promised me... remember? At Ferr Manor... you promised you’d kill me...”

“But that was-”

“What? Empty? I’ll do it myself if I have to.”

Clementine pulled a revolver out from beneath her. Barnabas winced. She pressed it into his hand. He reluctantly let her.

“Why would you make me do something so cruel?”

“Because I want you to do me a favour. You promised me that one day you’d kill me. That day has come. I’ll destroy Collinsport if you don’t. Please.”

Clementine sat up and slowly got to her feet. She moved to the edge of the cliff.

“No, Clementine, don’t jump,” Barnabas pleaded.

“Shoot me and I won’t!” Clementine shouted. She caught a glimpse of Elizabeth, David, Carolyn and Willie. Julia looked worried. Marie looked terrified. Then there was Tina, beautiful Tina, hair floating around her head, her blue eyes swimming, her lips trembling. Clementine met her eyes as she took a step back.

“Clementine, no!” Marie yelled, running forward. Tina’s tears spilled over, her arms reaching forward in desperation.

“Marie! Stop! I’ll do it if you come any closer.”

The others drew level with Marie. Josette drifted into view. David hugged her tightly. Elizabeth glanced at them and back to Barnabas and Clementine.

“Clementine, how do I use this?”

“Pull back that little lever above your hand-” Barnabas cocked the revolver, “and then point it at me. Then you want to pull the trigger.”

“First come away from the edge.”

Clementine sighed and smiled. She walked a few steps inland. She faced the others.

“These are my last words. Marie, I’ll never forget all of your help. You’ve been a good friend. Julia, I’ll miss your sense of humour. Elizabeth, keep the canneries well. David, be good for Josette and keep on learning. Carolyn, make sure David doesn’t get into any trouble and keep yourself happy. Willie, look after all of them. Josette, look after Barnabas for me. Tina, I love you, but move on after me. And Barnabas,” she paused and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you for everything.”

She nodded and Barnabas raised the revolver. His hand shook. He tried to steady it with the other hand, but that one was shaking too. Clementine walked forward, pressing the revolver into her chest. At least that steadied it.

“Go on, Barnabas,” she whispered. “You can do it.”

“I can,” Barnabas murmured. “I just do not want to.”

“Get it over with.”

Barnabas closed his eyes. Clementine took one of his hands in hers and kissed it. She squeezed it tightly and waited. She too closed her eyes. Barnabas tried to do it without feeling. Opening his eyes, he pulled the trigger and, not expecting anything after, was pushed backwards. Clementine fell to her knees. They all gasped. She was smiling. She fell to the ground, her hair covering her face.

“No,” Marie whimpered. Tina’s sobs were all that broke the silence.

.....

The funeral was a simple matter of saying a few words and burying the dead. It was held at Ferr Manor, and Clementine was the first in a neat little cemetery just a field away from the house.

Everyone was there: Tina, old Anne, the other servants and of course the Collins family, with Marie. They were gathered around the grave. Clementine’s coffin was beautiful. It had been polished to the highest quality. Anne gave the speech. She stood at the head of the grave and looked down.

“Clementine, we all wish you were here. But even more, we wish you a good journey into what lies beyond. It is a mystery to us all, and we may believe what we like. You were good to us here at your old home. The Collins family relied on you. In your work you channelled all of your heart and soul. In the brief time that you knew the people of this house, you were kind and generous. We owe you. May you rest until you need rest no more.”

The last phrase was repeated by everybody. Those with flowers tossed them in. Those without tossed some earth. The grave was filled in and the headstone was set in place. They all left except Barnabas, who had saved some flowers. He placed them on the disturbed ground, under which he knew Clementine lay. Then he got up and left too, to get on with his life as it should’ve been, and not how it was.


End file.
